To What End? Fortifications along the margins of the Hasmonean Kingdom

In this, the first in a series of hybrid in-person/zoom brown bag meetings devoted to examining the Hasmonean kingdom and its legacy, Roi Sabar (Boston University) will give a brief presentation of new archaeological evidence for two fortresses in the Galilee whose locations, viewsheds, and chronology have the potential to clarify the line of – and rationale for – the kingdom’s northern margins. This will be followed by open discussion exploring the reasons for their construction, the signals they transmitted, their intended audience(s), and their longer-term impact.