Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) 1981 Judahite Refortification of the Lachish rF ontier Jeffrey Alan Blakely Wilfrid Laurier University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd Part of the Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons Recommended Citation Blakely, Jeffrey Alan, "Judahite Refortification of the Lachish rF ontier" (1981). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 1128. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/1128 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JUDAHITE REFORTIFICATION OF THE LACHISH FRONTIER By JEFFREY ALAN BLAKELY B.A. Oberlin College, 1974 M.B.A. University of Wisconsin- Madison, 1977 THESIS Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree Wilfrid Laurier University 1981 Property of the Library Wilfrid Laurier University UMI Number: EC56273 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI EC56273 Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT: Judahite Refortification of the Lachish Frontier by Jeffrey A. Blakely Throughout the history of Judah a series of fortification systems was constructed to assist in the military protection of Judah. These systems changed over time in order to meet the military and political situations then present in the Levant. This thesis is a study of the changing patterns of fortification in southwest Judah throughout its existence. Prior to the time of Rehoboam, Israel and Judah were protected first by the mobile armies of Saul and David and later by four major centers which garrisoned the troops of Solomon. Additional Solomonic fortification was erected for internal usage in what became known as the Levitical Cities. After the division of the Israelite kingdom and the creation of an independant Judah the earlier systems were destroyed during an Egyptian raid. Rehoboam refortified Judah by constructing major defensive walls around the cities of Judah and by creating a military observation system throughout the hill country of Judah which allowed for rapid transmission of information and for quick military deployment during a crisis. This system was altered during the reigns of Asa and Jehoshaphat when the observation points were populated and strongly fortified, becoming well defended cities. Also the other major cities were strengthened. Lachish, having first been occupied as an observation point during the reign of Rehoboam, became the focal point in the system as well as Judah's largest and strongest fortress outside of Jerusalem. For added defense of southern and western Judah, a subsidiary fortification line was constructed along the Lachish frontier. This subsidiary fortification line placed extended observation points along the wadi system of the northwest Negeb and Philistine Plain, and probably marked the limit of settled agrarian life at this time, the border of Judah. Through the end of the 8th century BCE, Judahite fortification kept utilizing the same plan. The Assyrian conquest of Judah ended the systematic fortification of Judah. A later 7th century BCE system, centered around Lachish and Azekah, was constructed, but it was oriented in a different manner and is not yet understood. The Babylonian conquest of Judah between 589 and 586 BCE ended the political entity of Judah and with it Judahite fortification. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS ii LIST OF FIGURES vi PREFACE xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER TWO: GEOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATIONS IN SOUTHWEST JUDAH 5 The Geologic Formation of Judah 6 Local Judahite Building Materials 8 Judahite Roads and Highways 10 Climatological Considerations 12 Summary 13 CHAPTER THREE: HISTORY OF WARFARE AND FORTIFICATION IN JUDAH 14 Period of Judahite Power (ca. 1050 - 930 BCE) . 14 Period of Judahite Weakness (930 - 745 BCE) ... 23 Period of Assyrian Ascendency (745 - 664 BCE) . 34 The End of Judah (664 - 586 BCE) 49 Summary . .> 53 Excurses 54 CHAPTER FOUR: ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESULTS FROM JUDAHITE BORDER SITES 58 Tell ed-Duweir 59 Ashdod-Yam 77 Khirbet 'Ar'arah 80 Pag Khirbet el-Kom 84 Khirbet el-Meshash 86 Khirbet et-Tubeiqah 91 Khirbet Gharreh 93 Khirbet Hoga 95 Mesad Hashavyahu 97 Tell Abu Selymeh 99 Tell 'Arad 102 Tell Beit Mirsim 107 Tell ej-Jazar 116 Tell ej-Judeideh 125 Tell el-Batash 127 Tell el-Far'a (S) 133 Tell el-Hesi 137 Tell el-Kheleifeh 146 Tell el-Milh 153 Tell el-Qudeirat 157 Tell en-Najileh 162 Tell er-Rumeileh 165 Tell es-Safi 171 Tell es-Seba' 176 Tell Esdar 187 Tell esh-Shari'ah 190 Tell esh-Sheik Ahmed el-'Areini 195 Tell et-Tuyur 203 Tell Jemmeh 206 Tell Khuweilifeh 212 Tell Mura 216 Tell Sandahanna 220 Tell Zakariya 222 Summary 234 CHAPTER FIVE: SURVEY RESULTS FROM BORDER JUDAHITE SITES 236 Khirbet 'Aitun 236 Khirbet Summeily 237 Khirbet Zeida el-'Atiqah 238 Qubur el-Walaida 239 Rasm edh-Dhab 239 Tell Abu esh-Sheqef 240 Tell Abu Hareireh 241 Tell Bornat 242 Tell el-Kubeibeh 243 Tell Muleihah 243 Tell Quneitirah 245 246 Negeb Sites 246 Summary 248 CHAPTER SIX: HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST JUDAHITE FORTIFICATION 250 Negeb System of Saul 250 v Page Levitical Cities and the Fortification System of Solomon 255 Fortresses of Rehoboam 261 Expanded System of Asa and Jehoshaphat and its Rebuilds 267 Late Seventh Century Fortification System .... 280 Summary 284 BIBLIOGRAPHY 286 FIGURES 306 vi LIST OF FIGURES Number Page 1.1 Selected Archaeological Sites in the Levant . 306 1.2 Iron Age Sites in Southern Judah 307 2.1 Geological time scale , 308 2.2 Physical barriers to Palestine 309 2.3 The road system of Palestine 310 3.1 The kingdom of Saul 311 3.2 The kingdom of David 312 3.3 The Levitical Cities 313 3.4 The route taken by the armies of Pharaoh Shoshenq in 925 BCE as proposed by K.A. Kitchen 314 3.5 The fortified cities of Rehoboam 315 3.6 The administrative districts of Judah under Jehoshaphat 316 3.7 Judah at the time of Hezekiah and the Assyrian conquest of 701 BCE 317 3.8 Judah at the time of Josiah and the battle of Megiddo 318 4.1 Site plan of Tell ed-Duweir 319 4.2 Tell ed-Duweir Levels V and IV: palace area . 320 4.3 Tell ed-Duweir Bastion and city gate 321 4.4 Tell ed-Duweir: schematic section 322 4.5 Tell ed-Duweir Levels III and II: palace area . 323 Number Page 4.6 Tell ed-Duweir Bastion and city gate 324 4.7 Site plan of Ashdod-Yam 325 4.8 Section of fortificaton wall at Ashdod-Yam . 325 4.9 Site plan of Khirbet el-Meshash 326 4.10 Plan of Khirbet el-Meshash Stratum II 326 4.11 Plan of Khirbet el-Meshash unwalled village . 327 4.12 Section of fortification system at Khirbet Gharreh 328 4.13 Plan of Tell ej-Judeideh 328 4.14 Schematic plan of the foundations at Khirbet Hoga 329 4.15 Site plan of Mesad Hashavyahu 330 4.16 Plan and section of the fortress at Mesad Hashavyahu 331 4.17 Tell Abu Selymeh Stratum H 332 4.18 Tell Abu Selymeh Stratum I 333 4.19 Tell Abu Selymeh Stratum J 334 4.20 Section at Tell Abu Selymeh 335 4.21(A-B) Pottery from Tell Abu Selymeh 336- 4.22(A-B) Pottery from Tell Abu Selymeh 338- 4.23(A-B) Pottery from Tell Abu Selymeh 340- 4.24(A-B) Pottery from Tell Abu Selymeh 342- 4.25 Tell 'Arad Stratum XI wall and temple 344 4.26 Tell 'Arad Stratum VIII fortress 344 4.27 Tell 'Arad Stratum VI casemate fortification viii Number Page system 345 4.28 Site plan of Tell Beit Mirsim 346 4.29 Stratum B(3) casemate wall and Stratum A(2) city plan 347 4.30 Stratum B(3) gate 348 4.31 Stratum A(l) gate 348 4.32 Stratum A(2) gate 349 4.33 "Western Tower" of Stratum A83) 350 4.34 Site plan of Tell ej-Jazar 351 4.35 Overview of the Solomonic gate at Tell ej-Jazar 352 4.36 Solomonic gate at Tell ej-Jazar 352 4.37 Tell ej-Judeideh Excavation Summit-Plateau . 353 4.38(A-B) Pottery from Tell ej-Judeideh 354-5 4.39(A-B) Pottery from Tell ej-Judeideh 356-7 4.40(A-B) Pottery from Tell ej-Judeideh 358-9 4.41 Schematic plan of gate complex at Tell el- Batashi 360 4.42 Tell el-Far'a (S) Stratum R-S 361 4.43 Site plan of Tell el-Hesi 362 4.44 Section of the wadi face at Tell el-Hesi . 363 4.45 Plan of Iron Age walls at Tell el-Hesi .... 364 4.46 Schematic section of Tell el-Hesi 365 4.47 Tell el-Hesi Pier System 366 4.48 Tell el-Hesi schematic plan of Field III wall system 367 ix Number Page 4.49 Tell el-Hesi courtyard building 367 4.50 Tell el-Hesi occupation layers Stratum VII . 368 4.51 Site plan of Tell el-Kheleifeh 369 4.52 Plan and section of Tell el-Qudeirat 370 4.53 Site plan of Tell er-Rumeileh 371 4.54 Plan of west edge of Tell er-Rumeileh 372 4.55 Site plan of Tell es-Safi 373 4.56 Probable Hittite bowl from Tell es-Safi ...