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Oded Lipschits, Yuval Gadot, and Manfred Oeming

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Oded Lipschits, Yuval Gadot, and Manfred Oeming Oded Lipschits, Yuval Gadot, and Manfred Oeming el Azekah (Tell Zakariya) is located in the heart ofthe 72-73) assumed that the city gate should be located on the Judean Lowlands (the Shephelah), 27 km southwest of southern slope ofthe tell and that the Assyrian and Babylonian Jerusalem, 6 km south of Beth-shemesh, 8 km east of conquests of Azekah, as indicated by historical documents (see rTell es-Safi/Gath, and 17 km north ofLachish (grid reference: below), also came from this direction. 19400 62315, fig. 1). Tel Azekah is pear-shaped, with its "head" leaning north- ward. The southeast and southwest corners are rounded, and Azekah's location on the northern edge of a ridge running the eastern side ofthe site is in the shape of a shallow S. The north-south that divides the region and forms the bound- western side ofthe site has a rounded closing at the northern ary between the higher Shephelah to the east and the lower end, and the northern corner ofthe site is also rounded (fig. 3).' Shephelah to the west sets it as one ofthe main Judahite border The maximum length and width ofthe upper part ofthe site localities. It controls and watches over the strategic junction is 300 m X 150 m. It covers an area of approximately 45 dunams of roads leading from Tell es-Safi (biblical Gath) in the west, (ca. 11 acres). The surface ofthe tell is flat, and in its south- through the Valley of Ellah, to the Judean Hills in the east, and eastern corner there is a high mound, the acropolis, extending connects Beth-shemesh in the north and Lachish in the south over an area of 6 dunams (1.5 acres). An artificial low terrace (fig. 2). surrounds the southern and the southwestern slopes of the Nahal Ha-Elah (Wadi 'Ajjur) meanders westward from the tell and seems to be an integral part of it. It covers an area that Judean Hills and encircles Tel Azekah on three sides, creating extends over roughly 13 dunams (3,2 acres), and it was prob- steep slopes toward the stream on the west, north, and east, ably part ofthe entrance disposition to the site and in some circa 127 m above the streambed (see opening photograph). periods probably also part ofthe lower city (see below). On the south, the tell is joined to the ridge by a low saddle that is only circa 30 m below it. The site can be approached Azekah in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Epigraphic Sources from this side only, and for defensive purposes the saddle was probably artificially lowered in ancient times. Dagan (2011, The name Azekah is not mentioned in second-millennium 196 NEAR RASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY 75: (7) [Its walls] were strong and rivaled the highest mountains, to the (mere) sight, as if from the sky [appears its head'.... (8) [by means of beaten (earth) ra]mps, mighty' battering rams brought near, the work of [...], with the attack by foot soldiers, [my] wa[rriors .... (9) [...] they had seen [the approach of my cav]alry and they had heard the roar of the mighty troops of the god Ashur and [their] he[arts] became afraid [.... (10) [The city Azekah I besieged,] I captured, I carried off its spoil, I destroyed, I devastated, [I burned with fire .... Azekah was rebuilt sometime in the seventh century B.C.E., during the rule of Manasseh or Josiah, and in the early sixth century B.C.E., when Judah was attacked by the Babylonians, it was historical sources, but it is known from the Hebrew Bible as again one of the important and fortified cities on Judah's west- well as extrabiblical sources as one of the Judahite border ern border. Jeremiah 34:7 states: "When the king of Babylon's towns of the late eighth to early sixth century B.C.E. that faced army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of the territory of the Philistines. As such, it was the first target of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for the Assyrian army when it attacked Judah from the west. From these defensed cities remained of the cities of Judah." a text probably dating to Sennacherib's reign, describing his An ostracon discovered in the burned gate of Lachish, dated 701 B.C.E. campaign, it is evident that Azekah was taken by the to the 586 B.C.E. Babylonian destruction, can complete the Assyrians (translation by Na'aman 1974): data from the verse in Jeremiah, since the last Judahite defend- (3) [.... Ashur, my lord, encourag]ed me and against the land of Ju[dah J marched. To Beth-shcmesh In] the course of my campaign, the trib- and Gezer/ ute of the ki[ngs of Philistia? I received I thé coastal plain (4) [.... with the mig]ht of Ashur, my lord, the province of [Hezek]iah of Judah (5) [.... ] the city of Azekah, his strong- hold, which is between my [bo]rder and the land of Judah [.... (6) [like the nest of the eagle'] located on a mountain ridge, like pointed iron daggers without number reaching high to heaven [.... Figure 2. Tel Azekah and the primary his- torical roads. Satellite Image courtesy of Google Earth. ,, Tölaehfsh V and the South Google ear NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY 75:4 (2012) 197 Figure 3. Aerial photograph of Tel Azekah pictured in 1945. Note the agricultural terraces to the south and southwest of the tell. These terraces are part of a lower city surrounding the upper tell. According to the book of Joshua (10:10- 11), the kings of Canaan, who were attacking the Gibeonites, were beaten at Gibeon, after which the Israehtes "chased them along the way that goes up to Bethhoron and struck them as far as Azekah and unto Makkedah." Azekah was at that time assigned to the tribe of Judah as one of its towns in the Shephelah district (Josh 15:33-35), together with Jar- muth, Adullam, and Socoh. According to 2 Ghronicles 11:9 Azekah was fortified by Rehoboam as a link in his network of forts guarding the approaches to the Judean high- lands. The historical value of these verses might be questioned, as well as the tradition that sees Azekah as a Judahite stronghold on the border with the Philistines. Nowhere is this ers report in the last lines of their letter: "And let [my lord] tradition more apparent than in the story of the battle between know that we are watching for the signals of Lachish, accord- David and Gohath. According to 1 Samuel 17:1, the Philis- ing to all the indications that my lord has given, for we cannot tines "gathered together their armies to battle; they were gath- see Azekah" (fig. 4). ered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched The fact that Azekah was an important stronghold on between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim." Saul and Judah's western border was probably the base for a few other the Israelite army were positioned against the Philistines at biblical traditions that relate to the geopolitical importance the Valley of Elah, and after the great victory of David over of the site and cast it to earlier periods in the history of Israel Goliath, the Philistines fled and were pursued by the Israelites and Judah. "as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron." 44 And let [my lord] know that we are watching for the signals of Lachish, according to all the indications that my lord has given, for we cannot see Azekah. j J Figure 4. Ostracon number 4 found at the gate of Lachish. After Torczyner 1938. 198 NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY 75:4 (2012) It is not clear from the Hebrew Bible what the situation in ing the walls and towers, the dig was carried out in accordance the region of the Ellah Valley during the Persian period was, with their outline, following the inner and outer faces of the but Azekah is mentioned as one of the places where the chil- walls (Bliss and Macalister 1902, 14-23, pi. 3), disconnecting dren of Judah lived: "Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, the walls from probable floors, all around the fortress and in Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its villages" (Neh 11:30). many cases down to the bedrock. Inside the fortress, about half of the area was excavated to bedrock. The excavators believed Previous Excavations and Surveys at Tel Azekah this fortress was built by King Rehoboam (as described in Tell Zakariya (Azekah) was one of the first sites to be exca- 2 Chr 11), while the upper part was dated to the Hellenis- vated in the Holy Land. In 1898 the British archaeologist E tic period (Bliss and Macalister 1902, 23). Reassessment of J. Bliss, assisted by R. A. the excavations by Yehuda S. Macalister, on behalf of Dagan (2011, 80-83) the Palestine Exploration maintains that the fortress Eund, received permis- was constructed hundreds sion from the Ottoman of years later, in the late rule to dig at four sites, all Hellenistic period (second situated within a 10 km (6 century B.C.E.), probably miles) radius in the Judean above walls and remains Shephelah: Tell es-Safi from earlier periods. The (Tel Zafit, identified with destruction of the fortress Philistine Gath), Tell el- was assigned by Dagan to Judeideh (Tel Goded), Tell the emerging Hasmonean Sandahana (Mareshah), state in the days of John and Tell Zakariya (fig. 5). Hyrcanus I (flg. 7). Azekah was excavated During the twentieth for seventeen weeks over century Dagan surveyed three seasons: nine weeks O Tell ej-Judeideh Tel Azekah as part of t Beit Jibrin of excavations were con- O Tell Sandahannab regional surveys of the ducted at the site between Shephelah (Dagan 2000, October 27 and December 46-47).
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