Scribal Representations and Social Landscapes of the Iron Age Shephelah

In Scribal Representations and Social Landscapes of the Iron Age Shephelah, Mahri Leonard-Fleckman delves into how the Other is created and fashioned in ancient witnesses to these regions by analyzing identity in the Iron Age Shephelah. Focusing on two contemporary archaeological sites with plausible ancient connections, Tel Batash (ancient Timnah) and Tell es-Safi (ancient Gath), she journeys through texts and archaeology that bear witness to the social and political complexities of the region. Significantly, she presents irresolution as a practice for scholars of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Levant and illustrates how resisting conclusions can be an asset to investigating the distant past. Along the way, she advances new hypotheses that illuminate biblical passages describing individuals and communities from the regionâsuch as the stereotypical Philistines, Samson, Tamar, Delilah, and others. The book draws together a range of critical perspectives to spark compelling conversations about identity and history between anthropologists, archaeologists, biblical scholars, literary theorists, and historians.