earticle

영어

The Hebrew word 'masseboth' ( ) is conventionally translated as 'standing stones,' 'sacred pillars' in various English versions of the Bible. In both of Korean Revised Version and New Korean Revised Version, however, the same word has a variety of meanings according to the context; they include 'tombstones,' 'monuments,' 'stone pillars,' 'idols,' 'wooden images' or 'stone images.' These translations of the word 'masseboth' are in fact an outcome of supposing its functions and purposes on the basis of the related biblical verses. Archaeologists conventionally have applied the same Hebrew word to a group of mysterious standing stones or pillars, which have been found at many sites in Israel. Some scholars have tried not only to interpret them as 'masseboth' but also to suppose their functions on the basis of biblical or extra-biblical sources. The present study questions the validity of such an approach, and emphasizes that they should be interpreted first on the basis of their archaeological contexts without any biblical preconceptions. It points out that the archaeological 'masseboth' are represented by three types: the undressed or roughly-dressed standing stone, the well-dressed iconic stele, and the well-dressed aniconic stele. These two well-dressed types seem to have originated in the urban culture of the Near East, while the undressed type probably find its origin in the desert area such as Sinai and Negev. Given the fact that they mostly come from a temple-related or cult-related context, their cultic functions can be assumed, although it is difficult to clarify what kind of cult they served for. There is no doubt that most of the biblical 'masseboth' have also certain religious meanings no matter what their functions are. Standing stones have a long history of thousands of years in Palestine. It is noteworthy that the number of occurrence of the undressed standing stones sharply increases during the Iron Age. This phenomenon may have been associated with the migration of the Israelites to Palestine and with their eventual settlement.

한국어

본 연구는 히브리 '마쩨봇'의 용도와 기원을 연구하는 논문이다. 본 연구에서는 20개의 주요 유적지에서 발견된 마쩨봇을 분석하였다. 고고학적 전후관계를 분석한 결과 이들은 대부분 신전 또는 제의 장소와의 관련 하에서 발견되었음을 밝혔다. 성서의 "마쩨봇" 역시 다양한 종교적인 의미를 가졌으며, 이스라엘 백성들의 가나안 이주 및 정착 드불어 시작되었다.