HIERARCHY, GEOGRAPHY AND EPIGRAPHY: ADMINISTRATION IN THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH

Summary Hundreds of epigraphic finds have been uncovered in excavations conducted in the ancient Kingdom of Judah, located in the south Levant and dated to the Iron Age (c.1000–586 BCE). These finds are usually studied from the linguistic and historical points of view, in a basic, descriptive manner. Here we present a new approach, analysing aspects relating to spatial distribution of epigraphic finds, spatial hierarchy of sites, bureaucratic hierarchy of officials, core and periphery, and ecological diversity of various regions of the kingdom.