Tel Dan ‒ Biblical Dan
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Tel Dan ‒ Biblical Dan An Archaeological and Biblical Study of the City of Dan from the Iron Age II to the Hellenistic Period Merja Alanne Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by due permission of the Faculty of Theology, at the University of Helsinki in the Main Building, Auditorium XII on the 18th of March 2017, at 10 a.m. ISBN 978-951-51-3033-4 (paperback) ISBN 978-951-51-3034-1 (PDF) Unigrafia Helsinki 2017 “Tell el-Kadi” (Tel Dan) “Vettä, varjoja ja rehevää laidunta yllin kyllin ‒ mikä ihana levähdyspaikka! Täysin siemauksin olemme kaikki nauttineet kristallinkirkasta vettä lähteestä, joka on ’maailman suurimpia’, ja istumme teekannumme ympärillä mahtavan tammen juurella, jonne ei mikään auringon säde pääse kuumuutta tuomaan, sillä aikaa kuin hevosemme käyvät joen rannalla lihavaa ruohoa ahmimassa. Vaivumme niihin muistoihin, jotka kiertyvät levähdyspaikkamme ympäri.” ”Kävimme kumpua tarkastamassa ja huomasimme sen olevan mitä otollisimman kaivauksille. Se on soikeanmuotoinen, noin kilometrin pituinen ja 20 m korkuinen; peltona oleva pinta on hiukkasen kovera. … Tulimme ajatelleeksi sitä mahdollisuutta, että reunoja on kohottamassa maahan peittyneet kiinteät muinaisjäännökset, ehkä muinaiskaupungin muurit. Ei voi olla mitään epäilystä siitä, että kumpu kätkee poveensa muistomerkkejä vuosituhansia kestäneen historiansa varrelta.” ”Olimme kaikki yksimieliset siitä, että kiitollisempaa kaivauspaikkaa ei voine Palestiinassakaan toivoa. Rohkenin esittää sen ajatuksen, että tämä Pyhän maan pohjoisimmassa kolkassa oleva rauniokumpu varattaisiin suomalaisen retkikunnan tutkittavaksi. Matkatoverini olivat tälle ajatukselle myötätuntoiset, ja niin valtasin kummun Suomelle. Prof. Dalman lupasi tehdä kaikkensa valvoakseen etujamme. … Maailmansota katkaisi yhteyteni hänen ja Palestiinan kanssa. Onko rauhan palattua maailmaan tie Pyhään maahan enää aukeava suomalaiselle retkikunnalle? Siinä kysymys, johon ei tällä hetkellä käy vastaaminen.” ”Ennen kuin jätämme ihanan Tell el-Kadin siihen liittyvine muistoineen ja tulevaisuuden- unelmineen käymme vielä katselemassa ihmeellistä lähdettä, joka kumpuaa kukkulan läntisellä juurella. Meidän on tunkeuduttava tiheän viidakon läpi päästäksemme lähteen reunalle. Siinä se on valtavana kuohuavana kattilana. Ääretön vesipaljous, joka sen pohjasta työntyy ilmoille, purkautuu eteläiseen suuntaan leveänä, vuolaana virtana.” Katkelmia kirjasta: Jerusalemista Damaskoon. Matkahavaintoja, kirjoittanut Arthur Hjelt, 1917 Helsinki: Otavan kirjapaino Acknowledgements Arthur Hjelt, Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Helsinki during 1901‒1931, travelled to Palestine in 1911. In his book From Jerusalem to Damascus (1917) he described with enthusiasm his visit to “Tell el-Kadi”, and wrote about his suggestion that this mound should be reserved for a Finnish exploration team. Professor Gustav Dalman, the Director of the German Archaeological Institute in Jerusalem, promised to do his best to help him to carry out this project. Unfortunately, the First World War interrupted his contacts with both Prof. Dalman and Palestine. Excavations did not start at “Tell el-Kadi” (Tel Dan) until 1966 and, as far as I know, no Finnish group has ever excavated there. Nevertheless, I was glad to discover Arthur Hjelt’s book and learn of his dream to excavate at Tel Dan. Today, a hundred years later, I am glad to submit this book to print and, perhaps, to participate in the excavations at Tel Dan in 2018 (?). I am thankful to Hjelt, and so many other Finnish scholars who left us a heritage of enthusiasm and passion for Near Eastern Studies in Finland. During the long process of working with my dissertation, I received a great amount of support and friendship from numerous people. Firstly, I want to thank Prof. Martti Nissinen, who has patiently supervised me. He has been continuously interested in this work and encouraged me to finish this book. I thank Prof. Timo Veijola, who accepted me as a post- graduate student and guided my studies for several years. Many thanks to Doc. Risto Lauha, who also supervised me. I will always remember my inspiring discussions with him about archaeology, theology, and history. I am grateful for the invaluable remarks to Doc. Raz Kletter, who read the archaeological part of this study. In January 2017, I had a pleasure to discuss the archaeology of Tel Dan with Dr. David Ilan, the Director of the current Tel Dan Excavation Project. He kindly allowed me to read the last chapter of the forthcoming final report Dan IV. I deeply thank him and Mrs Levana Zias for the fruitful discussions. I am glad that Prof. Wolfgang Zwickel and Prof. Kurt L. Noll agreed to be the pre- examiners of my manuscript. Their critical comments were of help in improving this work. Prof. Wolfgang Zwickel will also be my opponent, which is an added pleasure for me. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Christopher TenWolde, who edited the English language of my work on such a tight schedule. He did an excellent job. I am now responsible for the remaining mistakes. Thanks to Prof. Anneli Aejmelaeus for fruitful discussions in Göttingen and Helsinki, and Prof. Tapani Harviainen for his excellent teaching of the Semitic languages and cultures. I thank all those people with whom I studied and worked in the Department of Biblical Studies in 1999‒2009. In particular, I thank Dr. Kirsi Valkama and MTh. Tuula Tynjä, with whom I have shared so many hours learning, discussing, and carrying out archaeological research, both in the field and in the office! I also thank Kirsi for her kind assistance with many technical problems, ThM. Katri Saarelainen and Emilia Tapiola, the other members of the Project of Galilee in the Iron Age, directed by Prof. Martti Nissinen. The most memorable moments from my student days onward were the several periods I participated in archaeological excavations in Israel. I am grateful to all those people with whom I volunteered and worked at these archaeological sites: Aphek-Antipatris in 1985 and the project of the Land of Geshur in the Golan Heights in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1997, directed by Prof. Moshe Kochavi, University of Tel Aviv; the salvage excavations at Palmachim in 1990, directed by Dr. Eliot Braun, Israel Antiquities Authority; Tel Beth Shean in 1996, directed by Prof. Amihai Mazar, University of Jerusalem; the Survey in Jebel Bishri in Syria in 2000, directed by Doc. Minna Lönnqvist, University of Helsinki; Kinneret excavations of 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004, directed by Prof. Volkmar Fritz in 1998‒ 2001 and by Dr. Stefan Münger, Doc. Juha Pakkala, and Prof. Jürgen Zangenberg in 2003‒ 2012, Universities of Mainz, Bern, Helsinki, and Leiden. I had the opportunity to study Hebrew language, history, and archaeology at the University of Tel Aviv in 1991‒1992, 1993‒1994. I thank Prof. Nadav Na’aman for supervising me. During my stay in Israel, I enjoyed many trips organized by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. These trips familiarized me with the geography and nature of Israel. I have also enjoyed the hospitality of the École Biblique in Jerusalem, where I had the pleasure of staying for a few weeks. Its library is a treasure for scholars and students of biblical studies and archaeology. Finally, I want to thank my current colleagues in the Church of Espoo, my friends, and my family. I thank Kalervo Salo, the vicar of the Leppävaara Parish, who encouraged me to finish my PhD, and the Diosecan Chapter of Espoo which granted me leave from my job in 2013 and 2014. I am happy to have so many lovely colleagues who have “pushed” me forward to get my book finished. When I talked about not finishing my PhD, they did not give me a choice: “We want a party. You will finish it. We need a female doctor in Leppävaara Parish.” We already have two men. I thank Eve, Riksu, Ullis, Heli, Riitta, Martta, Anitta, Hannu, Juha-Pekka, Jukka, Tarja, Niko, Marjukka, Leif, Kullervo, Pauliina, the Chamber Choirs of Lauttasaari and Leppävaara Churches, the other colleagues and friends of mine. I am deeply grateful to my parents, who have always encouraged me to look forward, and my sister and brothers, their spouses, and charming children. Last, but not least, I thank you, my husband Kari, for your understanding, empathy, patience, and steadfast love. In Espoo, on 22nd of February 2017, Merja Alanne Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Overview and Aims of the Study 1 1.2. Tel Dan and Its Research 4 1.3. Biblical Dan and Its Research 7 1.4. Reconstructing history – Possibilities and Limits 11 1.4.1. Avraham Biran’s Reconstruction of the History of Iron Age Tel Dan and Its Evaluation 11 1.4.2. The Search for History: “Biblical History” or the History of Israel-Palestine 13 1.4.3. Studies and Discussion of Israel’s Past 20 1.5. Methodology and Terminology 34 1.5.1. Methodological Principles 34 1.5.2. Terminology 37 2. Tel Dan: Results of the Excavations 39 2.1. Stratigraphy of Tel Dan 39 2.1.1. Excavated Areas 39 2.1.2. Stratification of Tel Dan 41 2.1.3. Synchronism of the Iron Age Strata between the Areas 49 2.1.4. Iron Age Tel Dan in the Long Term Historical Perspective 53 2.2. Area T: The Cultic Enclosure 54 2.2.1. Introduction 54 2.2.2. Stratum IVA 59 2.2.3. Stratum III 63 2.2.4. Stratum II 70 2.2.5. Summary 73 2.3. Areas A, AB, B: Gate Complex and Fortifications 74 2.3.1. Introduction 74 2.3.2. Stratum IV 76 2.3.3. Stratum III ‒ II: The Lower Gate Complex 77 2.3.4. Stratum (III) ‒ II: The Upper Gate 86 2.3.5. Summary 88 2.4. Other Areas: Strata IV – II; Stratum I and the Persian – Hellenistic Period 89 2.4.1. Other Areas of Stratum IV‒ II 90 2.4.2. Stratum I 91 2.4.3. The Persian and Hellenistic Period 93 2.5.