LATIHAN MENDELEY #2

Usually assigned to the time of Solomon, is the remains of massive fortifications, especially walls and
gates. A lot has been written about the so-called “Solomonic six-chamber” gates, some of it very controversial
(for a brief discussion, with plans, see A. Mazar, 1990: 380–7). They have been discovered at such sites as
Hazor, Gezer, Megiddo (the most controversial site, due to the way it was excavated), Beth-Shemesh, Ashdod
and Lachish. Other important remains, that indicate a move toward urbanization and centralization during this
period, are what have been identified as “palaces” (Megiddo, Hazor). Other structures include the more normal
domestic dwellings, including the ubiquitous “four-room house” found throughout the Iron II period (Laughlin,
2002, p. 34). Ceramics is not only a popular art form, but also a big business.
The word ceramic comes from the Greek keramos which means “clay.” Ceramics include a wide range of items
—everything
from simple flower pots to fine china. In addition to being pleasant-looking, many ceramic objects, such as cups,
plates, tiles, and a wide range of pottery, also serve a useful purpose (Tomecek, 2010, p. 101). The great
advantage of the Anti-Lebanon for Damascus is that it is high enough to trap some of the winter moisture-laden
clouds before they evaporate over the steppe to the east and south. While the Damascus rainfall (220 mm per
year) is barely enough to sustain permanent agriculture, it is more than compensated by the precipitation stored
on the snowy peaks and released into the Barada with the spring thaw. The river (the Abana of the Old
Testament 2 Kings 5.12 – ‘Surely, Abana and Parpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in
Israel?’) is fed not only from the run-off from the steep slopes but from the marshy lakes to the west of
Zabadani and by the abundant spring at `Ain al-Fijeh, half way along the river’s course (now largely siphoned
off for the city’s drinking water) (Burns, 2005, p. 57).
Zero-religions and spiritualities have no or almost no resemblance to transcendence-orientated religions
or spiritualities. Of course, virtually all social practices may give “meaning” to individuals or may in some
fashion or other “structure” the life of individuals. In so far as religions and spiritualities also give meaning and
structure, even here we find a likeness to religion. However, most attributes normally found in transcendence-
orientated religions and spiritualities are lacking (Usunier & Stolz, 2016, p. 66)

Daftar Referensi
Burns, R. (2005). Damascus: A History. Oxon: Routledge.
Laughlin, J. C. H. (2002). Archaeology and the Bible. In Approaching the Ancient World (Vol. 8). London:
Routledge.
Tomecek, S. M. (2010). Experimenting with Everyday Science: Art and Architecture. New York: Chelsea
House.
Usunier, J.-C., & Stolz, J. (Eds.). (2016). Religion As Brands: New Perspectives on the Marketization of
Religion and Spirituality. Oxon: Routledge.