Board Games in Biblical Gath Shira Albaz, Itzhaq Shai, Haskel J
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL VIEWS Board Games in Biblical Gath Shira Albaz, Itzhaq Shai, Haskel J. Greenfield, Aren M. Maeir Psychologists confirm that play is just 30 Squares, known as Senet in Egypt. Because the as critical for adults as for kids—not only as simple, earliest Egyptian example comes from a Predynas- unproductive leisure, but also as a mental tic tomb at el-Mahasna (dated to c. 3500 B.C.E.), and social catalyst. Board games some scholars believe that Senet originated represent a unique kind of in Egypt and was later introduced human play. Millions of board into Canaan as the Game of 30 games are sold every year, as Squares; although some scholars people from different walks argue the exact opposite. of life, ages, races and eth- Be that as it may, the Egyptian nicities all enjoy the kind name for Senet comes from the of brain-teasing and social verb “to pass,” which refers to engagement that board the way the playing pieces pass games offer. And archaeol- the 30 squares (or houses) on the ogy demonstrates that this board. Senet is a race game—the pastime has deep roots. aim is to be the first to maneuver Board games are the earliest type of one’s pieces around a formalized game uncovered from the Biblical track to reach the last square on world. Gaming boards and playing the board. Proceeding in a serpent- pieces made of durable materials, like fashion, players move the pieces such as stones, pebbles, bones, on the first row from left to right sticks, twigs and animal turds, and from right to left on the sec- have been found in all kinds of ond, and so forth. Everyone’s turn archaeological settings, showing is determined by throwing dice or that board games enjoyed popu- casting sticks. larity among all social strata of The conventional Egyptian ancient societies in Canaan. boards consisted of three rows INS ET From as early as the Neo- and ten columns, with vari- I : M lithic period (8300–4500 ants including three rows and AG E S B.C.E.), board games are 16 columns, two rows and 16 C OU attested from Canaan in both columns and four rows and ten RTE public and domestic contexts, or seven columns. The last five OF SY including publicly accessible rocks, squares on the board are the “gate T H E floors, benches and industrial areas, squares,” with special hieroglyphic TE as well as private homes and yards. The markings. LL E public gaming boards are usually larger This layout is what differentiates the S-SAFI/GA than those found in domestic settings. Egyptian Senet from the Canaanite Game T The most common board game in of 30 Squares, the latter having a different A H Bronze Age Canaan was the Game of square distribution and no “gate squares.” RC HA E Also significant is the difference of raw OLOGI POPULARITY OF BOARD GAMES in Bronze materials. While boards and playing Age Canaan is attested through these two C pieces from Egyptian tombs were often AL fragments of gaming boards and a pair of PR knucklebones for playing from Tell es-Safi, made from exotic materials, such as ivory, OJ ECT the Biblical Philistine city of Gath. CONTINUES ON PAGE 68 22 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 Archaeological Views knucklebones—all for playing the Game was abandoned immediately afterward. continued from page 22 of 30 Squares (see images on p. 22). Other Early Bronze Age board games Found in a residential zone at the east- from the southern Levant were uncov- gaming tables from Canaan were made ern end of the site, these finds date to ered at Megiddo (dated to the Early of locally available chalkstone. the Early Bronze Age IIIB. Due to recent Bronze Age I, i.e., 3500–3200), Arad and The recent excavations at Tell es-Safi advances in radiocarbon dating that sup- Bab edh-Dhra, Jordan (both dated to the (Biblical Gath), one of the prominent port the so-called high chronology—put- Early Bronze Age II, i.e., 3200–2900). Early Bronze Age urban centers in the ting the Early Bronze Age III to 2900– Together with the examples from Tell southern Levant, have unearthed three 2600/2500 B.C.E.—the archaeological es-Safi, these finds indicate that the gaming boards made of soft chalkstone layer in which the boards were found Game of 30 Squares was played across together with several playing pieces and dates to c. 2800–2600 B.C.E. The site the region during the Early Bronze Age— and not just by the elites or by those under Egyptian influence. The examples from Tell es-Safi further reveal that—just like the Egyptian Senet—the Canaanite Game of 30 Squares existed in a number of variants. To this day, variants of the Game of 30 DONʼT Squares and Senet are enjoyed in Egypt, Sudan, south Sinai and the Negev. GO TO Shira Albaz is a doctoral student at the Bar-Ilan University and a field supervisor at the Tell es- ISRAEL Safi/Gath excavations. Her research focuses on Early Bronze Age material cul- WITHOUT ture from the southern Levant. Itzhaq Shai is Senior Lecturer and Director of THIS! the Institute of Archaeology at Ariel University. Since 2009, he has directed the Tel Burna Archaeological Project. Haskel Greenfield is the Distinguished Professor of The Holy Land for Christian Travelers puts a biblical Anthropology and Archae- scholar and experienced Holy Land guide at your ology and Coordinator for side to ensure you fi nd the sites you want to visit and the Judaic Studies Pro- gram at the University of understand their signifi cance in the Bible. Each entry Manitoba, as well as provides key Scripture references for refl ection and a Codirector of the Tell es-Safi/Gath guide to the land that will encourage communion with excavations. God and a genuine spiritual experience as you walk Aren M. Maeir is in the footsteps of Jesus. Professor of Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University and Director of the Tell es-Safi/ Gath Archaeological Project and Codirector of Available wherever books and ebooks are sold. b the Minerva Center for the Relations between Israel and Aram in Biblical Times. 68 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017.