The Archaeological Collection of the Faculty of Theology

In the 1950s and 1960s, two Old Testament scholars from Basel traveled independently of each other to the Holy Land, and both brought home collections of artefacts from their travels. Hans Joachim Stoebe, Professor of Old Testament from 1961 to 1979, was primarily interested in pottery, while Ernst Jenni, Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Philology from 1958 to 1997, was rather more interested in coins. Now, both of these collections are combined as the “Archaeological Collection of the Faculty of Theology” in Basel and will available as an teaching aid in the Faculty's courses. Here, we wish to thank both collectors and their family members for their generous gift to the Faculty of Theology.

The first steps in provenancing these objects were taken beginning in 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the direction of Sonja Ammann and Stephen Germany, Anja Preiswerk and Enrico Regazzoni investigated the objects in both collections and their historical backgrounds. Their work and ideas are initial steps in the provenancing and also in the potential restitution of particular objects. In short: the meticulous work that Anja Preiswerk and Enrico Regazzoni carried out is only the beginning of a longer work in progress.

The work on the objects of the “Archaeological Collection of the Faculty of Theology” in Basel allowed both young researchers to get to know the worlds of the Bible, the Levant, and Anqituity from many new – both positive and negative, but always fascinating – sides and to bring us closer to these worlds. In this respect, they lay the foundation for future research on the provenance of these objects and the responsibilities that come with it. We thank them for the major contribution that they have made.

Below is a list of the objects that are on display in the Faculty of Theology (Nadelberg 10, Basel). If you would like to learn more about the collection as a whole, you can download the complete catalog below.

Stephen Germany & Oskar Kaelin
Basel, fall 2022


St 2 Pitcher with spout

Clay. Finely tempered.
13.4 x 7.2 cm.
Iron IIA-B
 

St 3 Pyxis

Clay, wheel-made.
H 8.5 cm, W 10 cm, opening ca. 5 cm.
Iron IA
 

St 4 Bowl      

Clay. Quite finely tempered, with inclusions (likely organic).
4.8 x 4.4 cm.
Iron IIA-B
 

St 5 Oil lamp

Clay. Very coarsely tempered, with inclusions of various colors.
4.5 x 14.1 cm.
Iron IIA-B
 

St 6 Oil lamp  

Clay. Coarsely tempred with many white inclusions.
5.2 x 10.6 cm.
Iron IIC
 

St 9 Oil lamp

Clay, rather coarsely tempered.
3.5 x 12.5 cm.
Iron I
 

St 10 Censer

Clay, finely tempered. Wheel-finished.
9.1 x 9.7 cm.
Iron IIA-B
 

St 12 Goblet

Clay, coarsely tempered.
18.5 x 18.5 cm.
Iron I
 

St 14 Pyxis

Clay.
6.5 x 6.5 cm.
Iron II
 

St 15 Black Juglet

Clay.
7.8 x 5.6 cm.
Iron II
 

St 18 Small amphora

Clay. Coarsely tempered.
8.5 x ca. 6.2 cm.
Early Bronze I-III
 

St 20 Bowl with spout

Clay. Rather coarsely tempered.
6.5 x 10 cm.
Early Bronze IB
 

St 23 Jug

Clay, finely tempered.
12 x 11.5 cm.
Early Bronze IA
 

St 24 Small amphora

Clay, somewhat finely tempered.
9.4 x 8.5 cm.
Early Bronze I
 

St 25 Oil lamp with four spouts

Clay, rather coarsely tempered; raw.
14.5 x 4.5 cm.
Mittelbronzezeit I
 

St 26 Oil lamp

Clay, finely tempered.
3.9 x 8 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 27 Closed narrow-necked carinated bowl / vase

Clay, finely tempered.
H ca. 13.8 cm, W ca. 12 cm.
Middle Bronze IIB-C
 

St 28 Pitcher

Clay, coarsely tempered.
H. ca. 12.5 cm, W ca. 11 cm, thickness 0.5-0.8 cm.
Early Bronze I
 

St 29 Krater

Clay, finely tempered.
ca. 21 x 20 cm.
Middle Bronze II
 

St 31 Open carinated bowl

Clay, rather finely tempered.
6.7 x 13.4 cm.
Late Bronze I
 

St 32 Sherd with engraved decoration

Clay, rather finely tempered.
ca. 12.5 x 9.5 cm.
Early Bronze?
 

St 34 Sherd

Alabaster.
6.7 x 10.2 cm.
 

St 36 Sherd with notch

Clay, coarsely tempered.
ca. 6 x 12 cm.
Chalcolithic - Early Bronze II
 

St 41 Sherd from a storage jar

Clay, coarsely tempered, with dark inclusions.
10.3 cm x 16.5 cm.
Chalcolithic to Early Bronze I or Middle Bronze I
 

St 47 Sherd with decorative pattern

Clay, rather coarsely tempered.
7.4 x 6.5 cm.
 

St 48 Sherd with decorative pattern

Clay, rather coarsely tempered.
3.9 x 4.9 cm.
 

St 49 Sherd with decorative pattern

Clay, rather coarsely tempered.
3.2 x 4.2 cm.
 

St 50 Bowl

Clay, coarsely tempered.
12 x 23 cm.
Early Bronze IA
 

St 52 Jug

Clay, rather finely tempered.
14 x 16 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 54 Jug

Clay, rather coarsely tempered.
25.5 x 15 cm.
Early Bronze II
 

St 58 Juglet

Clay, rather finely tempered.
8 x 6 cm.
Early Bronze II-III
 

St 59 Flask

Clay, rather finely tempered.
13 x 9.8 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 60 Jug

Clay, rather finely tempered.
12.8 x 6.6 cm.
Late Bronze II
 

St 61 Cypriot juglet

Clay, finely tempered.
H 13.5 cm, W 6.7 - 7.5 cm, neck 2.2 cm, ∅ opening 3.2 cm.
Middle Cypriot II (ca. Middle Bronze II)
 

St 62 Pilgrim flask

Clay.
H ca. 16 cm, W ca. 12 cm, opening 4.5 cm.
Late Bronze IIB
 

St 63 Bowl-shaped lamp

Clay, coarsely tempered.
H 3.5 cm, W ca. 11.2 cm.
Middle Bronze IIB-C
 

St 66 Oil lamp

Clay, finely tempered.
3.7 x 7.8 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 75 «Spoon»

Clay, coarsely tempered.
9.1 x 13 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 76 Unguentarium

Clay, rather finely tempered.
13.8 x 4.3 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 79 Oil lamp with palm branch / stylized menorah

Clay, finely tempered.
3.7 x 9.8 cm.
Byzantine period, 5th-6th century CE
 

St 80 Oil lamp with writing

Clay, finely tempered, made in a mold.
L 10.5 cm, W 6.9 cm, H 3.8 cm.
Byzantine - Islamic period
 

St 81 Oil lamp with floral pattern

Clay, formed in a mold.
L 8.6 cm, W 5.4 cm, H 2.9 cm.
Hellenistic period
 

St 82 Oil lamp

Clay, finely tempered.
3 x 9 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 83 Oil lamp

Clay, finely tempered.
L 7.7 cm, W 6.3 cm, H 3 cm.
Roman period
 

St 84 Oil lamp

Clay, finely tempered.
3.8 x 6.7 cm. 
Date unclear.
 

St 85 Jug

Clay, rather finely tempered.
5.3 x 9.5 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 103 Sherd

Clay, rather finely tempered
6.8 x 5.6 cm.
 

St 133 Figurine

Clay.
2.7 x 19 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 137 Mudbrick with cuneiform text

8 x 16.5 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 138 Mudbrick with cuneiform text

6.5 x 6.8 cm. 
Date unclear.
 

St 139 Mudbrick with cuneiform text

3 x 5.5 cm.
Date unclear.
 

St 147 Plaster copy of a small bowl with bull decoration

Clay.
5.3 x 13 cm. 
Modern.
 

St 151 Caprid figurine

Metal.
3.5 x 12.8 cm.
Modern.
 

St 152 Small pitcher

Metal.
13 x 10.5 cm.
Modern.
 

St 153 Plaster copy of a human-headed lion (?) with cuneiform text

11 x 14 cm.
 

St 154 Plaster copy of a duck weight with cuneiform text

10 x 18 cm.
Modern
 

St 155 Round object with Arabic inscription

1.6 x 6.5 cm.
 

St 156 Rectangular object with Arabic inscription

1.5 x 4 cm.
 

St 160 Ossuary

Date unclear.

 


Je 1 1/16 shekel of Ba‘alšillem II and ‘Abd‘aštart I.

Silver (7). Weight 0.68 g, diameter 8.8 mm, die marriage 360°
Phoenician, ca. 383-372 BCE, minted in Sidon.
 

Je 3 Tetradrachma of Antiochus VII Sidetes

Silver (7). Weight 10.98 g, diameter 26.4 mm, die marriage 360°
Seleucid, 135-134 BCE, minted in Tyre
 

Je 10 Nonferrous metal (Æ). Weight 3.31 g, diameter 17.9 mm, die marriage 345°

Nabatean, 16-41 CE, probably minted in Petra.
 

Je 20 Follis (Aes 1) of Diocletian

Nonferrous metal (Æ). Weight 10.14 g, diameter 27.6 mm, die marriage 150°
Roman, ca. 302-303 CE, minted in Antioch.
 

Je 31 Follis (Aes 3) of Constantine I

Nonferrous metal (Æ). Weight 3.86 g, diameter 19.2 mm, die marriage 360°
 

Je 38 40 Nummi of Justinian I

Nonferrous metal (Æ). Weight 15.72 g, diameter 32.2 mm, die marriage 195°
Byzantine, 527-538 CE, minted in Constantinople.
 

Je 40 Copy of a Tetradrachma of Agathocles of Syracuse

Tin. Weight 9.06 g, diameter 24.2 mm, die marriage 360°
Modern.
 

Je 47 Lamp

Clay.
H. 2.9 cm, W. 6 cm, L. 7.2 cm.
Late Roman, 3rd-4th century CE.
Region of Yavne and Samaria.