Southern to Excavate “Fortress of Elah” Winter 2009 Issue 8
ANCIENT BATTLEGROUND, Resting atop a hill overlooking the In Th is Issue: POSTMODERN CONFLICT Elah Valley lie the ruins of an ancient Page 1 city dating to the time of David. Last he story of the valiant shepherd boy Southern to Excavate summer excavations at the site of Khir- Twho challenges the ironclad giant “Fortress of Elah” with nothing but sling and stones is one bet Qeiyafa uncovered the remains of a massive double wall, a chambered gate, Pages 2-4 of the most memorable in the Bible. 1 “Fortress of Elah,” cont. Samuel 17 recounts that the setting for and two small buildings. Chief archaeol- Page 5 this encounter was the Valley of Elah, ogist Dr. Yossi Garfi nkel of the Hebrew Th e Task Before Us the ancient borderland of Philistia and University estimates that “200,000 tons Judah. Here, about three thousand years of stone were required for the construc- Page 6 ago, the armies of the Philistines and the tion of these fortifi cations.” Pottery Excavations Go High Israelites gathered to wage war to decide analysis and radiocarbon testing date Tech who would have supremacy in the re- these structures to the period archaeolo- Page 7 gion. Today the valley where David slew gists call Iron Age IIa, more specifi cally Institute of Archaeol- Goliath has once again become a battle- to “the very beginning of the Iron IIa ogy DVDs ground this time for a new controversy period,” roughly 1000–970 BC. Th is Page 8 was a single-period city, meaning it was involving biblical chronology and Israel’s Recent Sightings occupied only during this short time. United Monarchy. Page 9 Upcoming Events
Institute of Archaeology Lynn H. Wood Archaelogical Museum 4960 Industrial Drive PO Box 370 Collegedale, TN 37315 Ph: 423.236.2030 [email protected] Dr. Yossi Garfi nkel examines the fortifi cations at Khirbet Qeiyafa archaeology.southern.edu Continued on page 2 “Fortress of Elah,” cont.
Continued from page 1 Traditional biblical chronology places David and Solomon’s reign in this period, the tenth century BC. Archaeological discoveries of the last century at biblical Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer revealed mas- sive fortifi cations and chambered gates similar to the one found at Qeiyafa last summer. Archaeolo- gists at the time linked these fi nds to the fortifi cation projects of King Solomon (1 Kings 9:15), and the pottery confi rmed the dating of these structures to the tenth cen- tury BC. Casemate (double) wall of Khirbet Qeiyafa However, the traditional chro- around 1000 BC, but a hundred Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University, nology and the connection to years later, redating the once- “many of the famous episodes in David and Solomon have recently believed Solomonic buildings to the biblical story of David and been challenged by a new genera- the ninth century BC. Th is means Solomon are fi ctions, historically tion of archaeologists who contend there would be no monumental questionable, or highly exagger- that David and Solomon could not architecture associated with the ated.” Moreover, the archaeologi- have built these great structures. United Monarchy. cal record shows that Judah in the For them Iron Age IIa began not According to archaeologist Israel tenth century BC was nothing more than a “marginal and isolated chiefdom,” lacking an organized state capable of building elaborate fortifi cations. “From the archaeo- logical information,” concludes Finkelstein, “we must come to a conclusion that undermines the historical credibility of this specifi c biblical narrative” (Finkelstein and Silberman, David and Solomon: In Search of the Bible’s Sacred Kings and the Roots of the Western Tradition [New York: Free Press, 2006]). Th e recent discoveries at Khir- bet Qeiyafa seriously undermine Finkelstein’s conclusions. Qeiyafa’s monumental city wall—2,200 feet Four-chambered gate with buildings to the left Continued on page 3
Institute News DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 2 “Fortress of Elah,” cont.
Continued from page 2 One of the key arguments used long and 13 feet wide—speaks by scholars like Finkelstein for volumes about the kind of central- distrusting the Biblical text is the ized authority necessary to execute lack of evidence of literacy in Israel a building enterprise of this scale. until the late eighth century BC. Moreover, the four-chambered gate Th is leads them to believe that the built of ashlar stones is typical of account of David and Solomon’s royal gates of this period. Archaeol- court was not written during their ogists who have examined the pot- reigns, but much later, three or four tery unanimously agree that the site centuries later. should be dated to David’s time. In a small building adjacent to Th e carbon-dating results corrobo- the western gate at Qeiyafa, excava- rate their assessment. In Garfi nkel’s tors found a piece of pottery with own words, “the new excavations writing on it. Th is type of potsherd clearly indicate that already in the inscription is called an ostracon. time of King David, urban cities Th e 6- by 6-inch ostracon contains were constructed in Judah.” fi ve lines of text, each about ten let- Dr. Garfi nkel with ostracon ters in length, one of the longest in- have been tentatively identifi ed. If EVIDENCE IN WRITING scriptions ever found in this part of Garfi nkel is correct, this would be ut if all this was not enough the Near East. Th e inscription was the oldest Hebrew inscription ever to turn the “low chronology” written in proto-Canaanite script, B found. It predates the next oldest on its head, Garfi nkel and his team and Garfi nkel believes the language inscription (the Gezer Calendar) by have found even more evidence is Hebrew. Hebrew words for “don’t about one hundred years. that challenges the critical view. do,” “judge,” “king,” and “slave” Th e ostracon, together with the absence of any Philistine pottery, points toward the identifi cation of Khirbet Qeiyafa as a Judahite site. But more importantly, the discov- ery of such an early inscription challenges the assumption that the Israelites of David and Solomon’s time did not use writing for re- cordkeeping. If some inhabitants of a small border town like Qeiyafa could write, it is not unreasonable to assume there were royal scribes who recorded historical events. Th us, the Bible’s historical accounts need not have been concocted by writers centuries after the fact.
Closeup of the ostracon’s inscription (notice the “A” looking character) Continued on page 4
Institute News DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 3 “Fortress of Elah,” cont.
Continued from page 3 these cities were inhabited only during David’s reign, as is the case with Qeiyafa. “Very important to us is TALE OF A TWO- the association of Sha’arayim with King David twice GATE CITY in the biblical tradition,” explain Garfi nkel and Ganor. n November “Th is observation is consistent with the archaeological I2008, Garfi nkel and radiometric data.” and his co-direc- tor, Saar Ganor, SOUTHERN JOINS THE QEIYAFA TEAM returned to the he Institute of Archaeology at Southern has been Qeiyafa for one Tinvited to excavate Khirbet Qeiyafa as a partner. week to excavate Southern’s team will be excavating the central fortifi ca- the eastern part tions of the site (Area A) and subsequently publishing of the city. Here the results of their work, in consultation with Garfi n- a second gate was kel and Ganor. Th is summer, in 2009, a small team found. Th is gate of staff will be surveying and conducting preliminary was made up of probes. Dr. Michael G. Hasel, new associate director two monumental of the Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project, will stones, weighing present the results at the American Schools of Oriental as much as ten Research professional meetings in New Orleans this tons each, much more than was needed to support the coming November. A full-fl edged excavation season is structure. Th is gate is the largest found at a biblical site planned for 2010. If you are interested in participating and “was clearly intended as a statement of power and (as a volunteer or a fi nancial sponsor) in the explora- authority.” tion of one of the most important cities in the debate More impressive still is the fact that Khirbet Qeiya- over the tenth century and United Monarchy, please fa is the only city in ancient Israel with two gates. Even contact Michael Hasel at
Institute News DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 4 The Task Before Us
n 1990 I dug in Israel for the fi rst time at the site of Gezer, under the direction Iof William G. Dever of the University of Arizona. Here the senior generation of American archaeologists was trained. American digs in the Middle East today owe much to the Gezer method of excavation. I still remember the excitement of excavating the monumental gate and city wall that the Bible describes as be- ing rebuilt by Solomon (1 Kings 9:15) and which Dever had dated earlier to the time of Solomon. I experienced fi rsthand the controversy over the dating of these buildings and remember my delight at fi nding the ceramic evidence that con- fi rmed the Solomonic dating of those structures. Since that time, I have had the privilege of working at impressive sites like Philistine Ashkelon with Harvard University, and at the famous Jewish fortress of Masada with the Hebrew University. At Philistine Ekron, where I dug for several seasons, a monumental stone inscription was found in 1996 naming the last fi ve kings of this Philistine city. Yet, after excavating nine sites in three diff erent coun- tries, I fi nd that nothing compares with that fi rst season at Gezer! Perhaps it was Dr. Michael G. Hasel the initial thrill of discovery. Perhaps it was working with some of the giants of the archaeology of Israel. Perhaps it was the mystery surrounding the days Nearly 20 years of Solomon and the intrigue I felt in being involved, though in a minor way, later, the debate in the ongoing revisionist debate. Nearly 20 years later, the debate over the United Monarchy continues. over the United Much of the discussion and arguments revolve around what archaeology has Monarchy contin- not found (yet). Th at changed last year with the discoveries at Khirbet Qei- yafa, which show there was a major fortifi ed city near the Valley of Elah dur- ues. Much of the ing David’s reign. New data has emerged that directly contributes to the key questions at the heart of the debate: (1) How extensive was Judah in the early discussion and ar- tenth century? (2) What was the extent of literacy during this time period? (3) guments revolve In what way does a fortifi ed city with over 200,000 tons of stone illuminate the question of centralized government and organization? around what ar- Th ough the questions are similar, the techniques and technologies that chaeology has not archaeologists use have changed. New high-resolution imaging techniques in- cluding ground penetrating radar and magnetometry, will enable us to secure found (yet). images even before excavations begin. GPS/GIS technologies provide sophis- ticated mapping techniques that allow-high precision data (see “Excavations Go High Tech”). Digital photography and 3-D imaging software allow us to reconstruct in 3-D the excavation process as signifi cant artifacts and features are “reassembled” in their original contexts. Computer databases, designed for a complex matrix of information, keep track of material culture in relationship to stratigraphy. Th ese new technologies are not inexpensive, but they allow us to focus on the data in a more comprehen- sive way than was possible even 20 years ago. We invite you to join us in this exciting new adventure at Khirbet Qeiyafa—a fortifi ed city from the time of King David.
Director, Institute of Archaeology
Director’s Letter DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 5 Excavations Go High Tech
process data has truly brought us into the 21st century. With scientifi c advancements in recent years archaeologists now utilize cutting-edge, high-tech tools that make processing large amounts of data more effi cient and accu- rate. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) together with sophisticated software allows accurate positioning based on satellite readings within he image of an archaeologist a centimeter. Geographical Infor- Thas had some consistency over mation Systems (GIS) software the years. A fi gure stooped over a applications allows that data to be task involving geologists, artists, pile of dirt with small instruments architects, mathematicians, pho- dusting the earth away one brush tographers, linguists, and fi eld stroke at a time. In some ways ex- archaeologists. But today staffi ng of cavation methods have not changed excavations is even more complex much over two centuries. We still as computer analysts, paleobota- dig by hand using the same tools nists, zooachaeologists, sedimen- Sir Flinders Petrie dug with at Tell tologists, chemists, and geographers el-Hesi in the 1890s. Th e reason are added to teams. Th is adds costs for that is that objects and material when transporting teams from the culture are fragile even though they United States to the Middle East, have withstood the test of time. but the dividends are most reward- But in other ways archaeology ing. Th ey enable new questions and has changed drastically. Th e ques- processed so that 3-D imaging of bring a more complete understand- tions we ask today are diff erent objects can be placed in their origi- ing of past cities and civilizations. and the ways we collect, store, and nal context in the ground and the “layering” of sites can be graphical- HELP US GO HIGH TECH! ly uncovered one stratum at a time. Today new computer databases Th e Institute of Archaeol- allow realtime processing of com- ogy is raising funds for the plex data. Aerial photography and purchase of GPS/GIS equip- remote sensing allows us to see im- ment/software and the train- ages from angles not normally seen ing of personnel. on the ground. Th ese technologies are becoming more accessible while Send your tax-deductible making invaluable contributions in donation to: the fi eld. Insitute of Archaeology Archaeology, from its earliest P.O. Box 370 beginnings, was a multidisciplinary Collegedale, TN 37315
Development DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 6 Institute of Archaeology DVDs
id you miss a Museum Lec- Dture? You can now purchase a DVD of the following museum lecture series presentations: “Th e Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeolo- gy” by Th omas Davis; “Gnosticism, the Gospel of Judas, and the Da Vinci Code” by Scott Carroll; “Th e Age of David and Solomon: Myth or Real- ity” by William Dever; “Th e Worlds of Abraham” by Alfred Hoerth; “Th e campaigns of Seti I into Western ark Finley and Michael Ha- Asia” by Peter Brand; and much Msel invite you on a journey of more. Visit
Discoveries of a Liftetime $55 USD Journey Th rough the Holy Lands $15 USD Museum Lecture Series Presentations $10 USD Shipping & Handling: $2.50 for orders $30 or less $5.00 for orders $60 or less FREE for orders above $60 Mail check (payable to Southern Adventist University) or money order (no credit cards) to: Institute of Archaeology, P.O. Box 370, Collegedale, TN 37315
Publication DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 7 Recent Sightings
PRESS COVERAGE OF KHIRBET QEIYAFA/QEIYAFA OSTRACON FFindind ooff AAncientncient CCityity CCouldould AAlterlter NNotionsotions ooff BBiblicaliblical DDavidavid (New York Times) NNewew EEvidencevidence SSurfacesurfaces ooff DDavid’savid’s kkingdomingdom (San Francisco Chronicle) ““DavidDavid andand Goliath”Goliath” CCityity FFoundound iinn IIsrael?srael? (National Geographic News) DDiscoveryiscovery ooff KingKing DDavidavid EErara FFortort SStirstirs DDebateebate oonn SSizeize ooff KKingdomingdom (Jewish Journal) HHaveave IIsraelisraeli ArchaeologistsArchaeologists FFoundound WWorld’sorld’s OOldestldest HHebrewebrew IInscription?nscription? (Haaretz) EEarliestarliest KKnownnown HHebrewebrew TTextext IInn PProto-Canaaniteroto-Canaanite SScriptcript DDiscoverediscovered (ScienceDaily) AAdvanceddvanced DDigitaligital IImagingmaging aandnd tthehe QQeiyafaeiyafa OOstraconstracon (Los Angeles Times) AArchaeologistsrchaeologists UUnearthnearth OOldestldest HHebrewebrew TTextext (YouTube newsclip)
ANCIENT SEALS UNEARTHED IN JERUSALEM DIG (Jerusalem Post) A routine archaeological excavation ahead of private construc- tion in an Arab neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem has uncovered a series of seal impressions from the reign of the biblical King Hezekiah 2,700 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced . . . CClicklick hhereere ttoo rreadead mmoreore
COPPER RUINS IN JORDAN BOLSTER BIBLICAL RECORD OF KING SOLOMON (Los Angeles Times) A massive copper smelting plant in the biblical land of Edom is at least three centuries older than researchers previously believed, placing it fi rmly in the biblical timeline of King Solomon, the fi rst ruler of a united Israel 3,000 years ago . . . CClicklick hhereere ttoo rreadead mmoreore
GIS IN ARCHAEOLOGY (Biblical Archaeology Review) Archaeologists have always been concerned with where objects are found. For the archaeologist, it makes a huge diff erence whether something is found in an ancient kitchen, in the inner sanctum of a temple or in the burial niche of a warrior’s tomb. It is these spatial insights that really tell the archaeologist how and in what way certain artifacts were used, and by whom . . . CClicklick hhereere ttoo rreadead mmoreore
Newslinks DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 8 Upcoming Events
VISIT “FACES OF POWER” SCHOLARLY MEETINGS TODAY! American Research Center Th e Lynn H. Wood Archaeologi- in Egypt cal Museum is proud to feature: Annual Meeting “Faces of Power: Ancient Coins April 24 – 26, 2009 of the Biblical World.” Th is Dallas, Texas special exhibition on coins of the Bible will be on display until University of Haifa May 3, 2009. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to International Conference see this stunning exhibition and “Egypt, Canaan and Israel: His- learn about the coins of the fi rst tory, Imperialism and Ideology” emperors of Rome. May 3 – 9, 2009 Haifa, Israel MUSEUM HOURS SUMMER EVENTS Sunday, 2 – 5 p.m. Monday, closed Middle East Study Tour Tuesday – Th ursday, 9 a.m. – June 1 – June 15, 2009 12 p.m and 1 – 5 p.m Turkey Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Saturday, 2 – 5 p.m. Archaeological Fieldwork
To schedule a guided tour June 24 – July 19, 2009 contact Star Stevens at Khirbet Qeiyafa, Israel 423.236.2988 or
Institute of Archaeology General Editor: Justo E. Morales Lynn H. Wood Archaelogical Museum Content Editor: Michael G. Hasel PO Box 370 Layout & Design: Marcella Morales Collegedale, TN 37315 To subscribe/unsubscribe contact Justo at 423.236.2027 or
Upcoming Events DIGSIGHT Winter 2009 9