God’s Mountain Challenges the Timing of Temple Mount’s Construction

Having pursued PhD studies in ancient Jewish history and archaeology as well as classical studies and rabbinic literature, Dr. Yaron Eliav leverages his expertise to teach Judaic studies courses in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. Dr. Yaron Eliav is also a published author who wrote the book God’s Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place, and Memory.

Published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2005, God’s Mountain discusses how the sacred Temple Mount site has impacted Jewish and Christian traditions over time. Readers learn about Temple Mount’s construction and the religious concepts that shaped its formation. Investigation and analysis also leads the author to challenge the period in which the site came into fruition.

Historic texts state Temple Mount was created during the Israel’s earliest days during 10th century BCE. This places its construction alongside that of the First Temple made by Solomon. However, close examination of timelines suggests otherwise. Temple Mount has history that coincides with defining events, including the mountain’s enlargement at the end of 1st century BCE by King Herod, Roman Emperor Titus’ temple destruction in 70 CE, and 60 years later, Hadrian’s actions in Jerusalem. These key moments place the actual build of Temple Mount closer to the Second Temple era, which occurred during the 1st century CE.

Association for Jewish Studies to Hold Annual Conference in Boston

For the last 15 years, Dr. Yaron Eliav has served as an associate professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. Throughout his career, Dr. Yaron Eliav has maintained memberships in organizations such as the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS).

In its efforts to promote and advance research and scholarship related to Jewish studies, the AJS conducts a variety of programs and holds an annual conference that attracts more than 1,100 attendees from across the globe. Currently, the organization is preparing for its 47th Annual Conference, which will be held at the Sheraton Boston in Massachusetts on December 13-15, 2015.

In addition to offering attendees a number of networking opportunities, the three-day event will feature a wide range of panel discussions, workshops, meetings, and other educational activities. This year’s conference will also feature lightning sessions that will give graduate students and other scholars the opportunity to showcase their work in a short presentation format.

Additional details, including complete conference schedule, can be found at www.ajsnet.org

Text Explores Meanings of Sculpture in Roman Culture

Yaron Eliav leverages expertise in Jewish studies and archaeology to serve as an associate professor of Rabbinic literature and Jewish history of late antiquity in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. The award-winning author of God’s Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Space, and Memory, Yaron Eliav has also edited a number of volumes, such as The Sculptural Environment of the Roman Near East: Reflections on Culture, Ideology, and Power.

The text explores the concept that public sculptures served as “mass media” in Roman culture as they occupied urban centers across the empire. According to the text, the sculptures were a “plastic language” that worked to convey religious, social, and political messages to the public. The book utilizes a wide range of ancient sources to analyze the various and even contradictory functions and meanings of statues in the complex Roman Near East society.

To generate the text, 28 scholars, archaeologists, and arts historians combined their knowledge of Greco-Roman, Christian, and Jewish culture. The multi-disciplinary experts also addressed Roman sculpture in the wider context of antiquity so as to reexamine existing academic consensus on various matters, such as the longtime “conflict” between Christianity, paganism, and Judaism.