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A Sikil Interlude at Dor

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A Sikil Interlude at Dor A SIKIL INTERLUDE AT DOR: AN ANALYSIS OF CONTRASTING OPINIONS by FLORIS NICOLAS VERMEULEN Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the subject BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR W. S. BOSHOFF NOVEMBER 2006 SUMMARY This paper analyses the opposing views regarding the presence or absence of the Sikil at Dor in Palestine during Early Iron Age 1. Textual sources claim that the Sikil were pirates who came from the west and settled in Cyprus. Egyptian sources point to a Sikil presence at Dor. Some scholars regard the Egyptian sources and archaeological finds at Dor as evidence of a Sikil settlement at Dor. Others maintain that there is a continuity of ceramics at Dor from Canaanite to Phoenician. Though there were foreign influences at Dor during Early Iron Age 1 which point to newcomers, they propose that these newcomers probably came from Cyprus. No archaeological record of a Sea People-presence at Dor has been discovered. This study textually traces the Sikil from the Aegean to Cyprus, Egypt and finally to Dor and a theory is presented that the Sikil originated in the Aegean, temporarily settled in Cyprus and finally at Dor. Key terms: Archaeology; biblical archaeology; eastern Mediterranean; southern Levant; northern Palestine; Mediterranean coast; Carmel coast; Sharon region; Dor; Sea Peoples; Sikil. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................... iii Abbreviations........................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................. vi Dedication ............................................................................................................................................... vii 1. Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Defining the problem and purpose of study.............................................................................. 2 1.2 Addressing the problem ............................................................................................................ 4 1.3 Purpose of the study.................................................................................................................. 6 2. A short history of Dor ....................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Tel Dor...................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 The city of Dor........................................................................................................................ 11 3. Textual sources relating to the Sea Peoples in general and the Sikil in particular ......................... 14 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 14 3.2 Ugaritic sources....................................................................................................................... 17 3.3 Hittite sources ......................................................................................................................... 19 3.4 Egyptian sources..................................................................................................................... 23 3.4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 23 3.4.2 The Amarna Letters .................................................................................................. 24 3.4.3 The Merneptah Stele ................................................................................................. 26 3.4.4 The Medinet Habu reliefs ......................................................................................... 27 3.4.5 The Papyrus Harris.................................................................................................... 35 3.4.6 The Onomasticon of Amenemope ............................................................................ 36 3.4.7 The Report of Wenamun........................................................................................... 37 4. The Aegean factor........................................................................................................................... 40 4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 40 4.2 Mycenaean-Aegean material culture ...................................................................................... 43 5. An interlude in Cyprus.................................................................................................................... 48 5.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 48 5.2 Settlement of the Aegeans....................................................................................................... 49 6. The Philistines................................................................................................................................. 55 6.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 55 6.2 Origins..................................................................................................................................... 56 i 6.2.1 Biblical sources........................................................................................................... 56 6.2.2 Other sources.............................................................................................................. 58 6.2.3 Archaeological evidence............................................................................................. 58 7. Developing a model for a Sikil settlement in Palestine .................................................................. 66 7.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 67 7.2 A basic framework for a model............................................................................................... 67 7.3 Developing a Philistine model ................................................................................................ 68 7.4 Deriving a Sikil model ............................................................................................................ 69 8. Excavations and finds at Tel Dor.................................................................................................... 71 8.1 Early excavations.................................................................................................................... 71 8.1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 71 8.1.2 The 1923-1924 Expedition ......................................................................................... 71 8.1.3 The Expedition of 1950 and 1952 and the Expedition of 1979-1980 and 1983 ......... 72 8.1.4 Underwater and related explorations .......................................................................... 73 9. Later excavations............................................................................................................................ 76 9.1 1980-2002: The search begins ................................................................................................ 76 9.1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 76 9.1.2 The case for the Sikil .................................................................................................. 77 9.1.3 Evidence of a Sikil presence ....................................................................................... 81 10. Excavations from 2002: A change of direction .............................................................................. 91 10.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 91 10.2 The Sikil presence queried...................................................................................................... 92 10.3 Developing a new theory ........................................................................................................ 93 10.4 Reasons for dissenting views ................................................................................................ 100 10.4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 100 10.4.2 Gilboa’s 1998-article as starting point...................................................................... 101 10.4.3 Further developments: Gilboa’s 2005-article ........................................................... 112 10.4.4 The latest developments............................................................................................ 120 11. Applying the Sikil-model
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