Archaeology of the Bible
Capernaum
This page is dedicated to the use of archaeology as it uncovers the historicity of the Biblical text. As I tell each of the groups who travel with me to Israel, archaeology is used not needing to prove the Bible’s historicity, but to reveal the context in which the history of both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures take place. The Bible does not need “proving.” Archaeology is used to enlighten its accuracy. In a remarkable way, it sheds light on the stories of the Scriptures, without contradiction.
In the words of an archaeologist, “In every instance where the findings of archaeology pertain to the Biblical record, the archaeological evidence confirms, sometimes in detailed fashion, the historical accuracy of Scripture. In those instances where the archaeological findings seem to be at variance with the Bible, the discrepancy lies with the archaeological evidence, (i.e., improper interpretation, lack of evidence, etc…) — not with the Bible.” (Dr. Bryant C. Wood, archaeologist, Associates for Biblical Research)
BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY – SITES (alphabetical order)
ARAD
A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
During the Early Bronze Period (3,100-2,100 B.C.), Arad was an important city in the eastern Negev, situated on a main road that led to Edom in TransJordan. The earliest recorded history about Arad comes in reference to the King of this region (Numbers 33:40). During 3,000 – 2,650 B.C., Arad served as a major urban center for the inhabitants of the region. Arad was then destroyed and then abandoned long before the Israelite Exodus from Egypt and their entry into Canaan. Arad was temporally resettled prior to the Israelite conquest, and is actually mentioned by Joshua in his conquest listing of cities taken (Joshua 12:14).
According to Judges 1:9, the Negev was then controlled by the people of Judah. Thus, since 1,500 years prior, the city was finally re-fortified by the Israelites, probably by King Solomon (970-930 B.C.) . The city was rebuilt on the upper hills, east and higher than the Early Bronze city. Pharaoh Shishak (930 B.C.) mentions the city of Arad in his list of conquered cities as he invaded Canaan from Egypt. The Israelites inhabited Arad throughout the time period of the Kingdom of Judah until the city underwent the reforms of King Josiah in 610 B.C. Arad was then destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 587 B.C.
Following the period of the Old Testament, Arad was re-inhabited by the Nabataeans in the 3-4th C.B.C., and eventually by the Romans and others throughout the Byzantine and Islamic periods.
The modern day city of Arad was founded in 1962 as a home base for scientists working in connection with the Dead Sea industries, and for archaeologists engage in researching desert and Dead Sea sites.
B. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS OF INTEREST
1. EARLY BRONZE:
Excavations of the tel were first carried out between 1962 and 1967 on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Israel Department of Antiquities, and the Israel Exploration Society. The excavations in the two different settlements (EB and IA), were direected by R. Amiran and Y. Aharoni. A largefortified/walled city (2,900-2,700 B.C.) The stone wall was 8 feet in width and almost one mile in length, supported by 11 semicircular towers and 2 gateways. The city was built in a circular pattern, with circular streets for the purpose of catching scarce rain water and diverting it into the citycistern or well. Located in the depression (lowest point) of the city was this cistern served the city well. (Later in the 9th C.B.C, the Israelites seemingly rebuilt this cistern with stone and rock. The Israelite diggers built the shaft of this cistern 68 feet down. The well was later used and rebuilt in theHerodian Period.). Typical Early Bronze broad room houses were discovered, with entrances into the house through one of the longer sides. Other remarkable fins included a clay model of one of these houses, imported vessels from Egypt, and an abundance of well painted pottery. This Early Bronze settlement was then abandoned for no explained reason.
2. IRON AGE:
A new settlement was founded on the hill east of the originally-standing city of Arad. Here dating to the 11th C.B.C, a small raised platform was discovered, possibly dating to the Kenites. This was probably the high place of worship for these new settlers. In the 10th C B.C., a temple was erected on its site. This area now become part of a strongly fortified royal citadel, founded by Solomon. During the period of the monarchy, it was destroyed and burnt 6 times (the first by Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt in 930 C.B.C.).
Of particular interest to this period is this temple. This temple/fortress was surrounded by a casemate wall, a double-walled enclosure divided by rooms. In the northwest corner stood this temple, complete with a Holy of Holies, or debir, a sacrificial altar (5 cubits square and 3 cubits high, of uncut stone. See Exodus 20:25; 27:1), 2 incense altars, and dimensions and plans quite similar to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. In addition, the temple consisted of one main room, the hekel. Within the debir (Holy of Holies) stood a small bemah (high place) and a massebah. These were stones that were used to represent gods. Flanking the entrance to the hekel were 2 stones slabs, probably the base of pillars, similar to the pillars of Jachin and Boaz that stood in the temple in Jerusalem (see I Kings 7:21, II Chron. 4:17). Interestingly, the altar seemingly was not used from the end of the 8th C.B.C. and the temple was destroyed with the erection of the last Israelite citadel in the second half of the 7th C.B.C. Some suggest that it was Josiah (some argue for Hezekiah a century earlier) and his reforms that brought the end to the use of this temple. By destroying the temple, Josiah was now forcing people to travel to Jerusalem for worship and for the festivals instead of “being lazy” and worshipping here against Jewish law. It appeared as if the incense altars were reverently laid on their sides and covered with earth.
Also, 100’s of ostraca (inscriptions made on pottery) were found in the various strata. Nearly half wereAramaic, and the rest in Hebrew. The Aramaic ostraca are mainly from the dockets of the Persian garrison, and consisted of lists of names, troops, and quantities of commodities such as wine, oil, flour, and silver. The Hebrew ostraca are an important find, for they increase our awareness of thepalaeographic importance. Some of these contained private names, family names and numerals. Some may have been a list of donations made for the temple.
Most interesting is a group of letters from the archives of a man called Eliashib, who was a high official and possibly the commander of the last citadel during the time of Josiah. Eliashib’s career centered around administrating the everyday life of Arad, making provisions to nearby traders, as well as taking important military orders in order to defend the city from the nearby Edomites. In addition, in one letter, there is a reference to Beersheba and in another to the House of Yahweh. This perhaps is the first mentioning of the temple ever found.
As it concerns the fortification itself, Strata VIII here at Arad was destroyed at the same time asStrata VII at Lachish, suggesting that the Assyrians also sieged Arad as they did Lachish
3. Roman/Byzantine:
One can see remains that date to the 1st C.B.C.- 6th C.A.D. One item of interest is a church, complete with a 3 fold apse. As mentioned before, the well was rebuilt for proper usage.
BEERSHEBA
A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Beersheba was the capital town of the Biblical Negev and is most prominently known within the history of the Patriarchal Period. (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; 2,100-1,900 B.C.). The name of the city,Beersheba, is so named because of its meaning and significance in Biblical history. Beersheba means“the well of the oath,” (Genesis 21:22-32) and signifies the covenant agreement that was made between Abraham and the servants of Abimelech.. According to Biblical history, Abraham dug a well there, planted a tamarisk (grove) there, called on the name of the Lord, and lived there (Genesis 22:19). Isaac went to live at Beersheba, concluded a covenant with Abimelech, and re-digs the well previously dug by his father there which was named Sheba (Genesis 26:22-33). Later, Jacob offered sacrifices there (Genesis 46:1-4).
After the cities conquest by Joshua , Beersheba was in the territory of Simeon within the territory of Judah (Joshua 19:2). In the time of the Judges (1,400-1,100 B.C.), Beersheba apparently became the center of the district (I Samuel 8:2). From the common phrase that was used to mark both the southern and northern reaches of Israel, “….from Dan to Beersheba…”, Beersheba became known as the southern frontier of Israel as well as a religious and administrative center for Israelites.
In addition, Beersheba is also mentioned, together with Dan, Bethel, and Gilgal, as a religious center in the later days of the Kingdom of Israel, when all four towns were reproached because of their rivalry with Jerusalem (see Amos 5:5, 8:14). During Josiah’s reforms, this Judean King defiled all the high places “from Geba to Beersheba. (II Kings 23:8).”
Following the Babylonian Exile, the town of Beersheba was resettled after Nehemiah’s restoration of the kingdom (Neh. 11:27).
Although Beersheba must have been an important place in the Roman and Byzantine periods, it does not appear very frequently in the sources.
Today Biblical Beersheba is identified with Tel es-Seba, 3 miles to the east of modern day Beersheba.
B. BIBLICAL REFERENCES
1. Genesis 21:14f After Isaac is born, Hagar, wanders around the wilderness of Beersheba with Isaac. Water is scarce. Therefore, she lays Isaac under a shrub, for he was dying of thirst.
2. Genesis 21:31f Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant. Abraham digs a well and calls the place“the well of promise/oath.”
3. Genesis 22:19 After Abraham and Isaac return from Mt. Moriah, they live Beersheba.
4. Genesis 46:1-5 Jacob travels to Beersheba and offers sacrifices to God.
5. Judges 20:1, I Samuel 3:20, II Samuel 3:10, 17:11, I Kings 4:25, I Chron. 21:2, II Chron. 30:5 – The phrase, “…from Dan to Beersheba…”
6. I Kings 19:3 Elijah flees for his life from Ahab and Jezebel to Beersheba. He eventually goes to Mt. Horeb (Sinai).
7. II Kings 23:8 All the priests came out and defiled the high places “from Geba to Beersheba…” This brought on Josiah’s reforms in the end of the 7th C.B.C.
8. II Chron. 30:5 Hezekiah makes a decree from Beersheba that the people should come to Jerusalem for Passover, for they had not done this in a long time.
9. Nehemiah 11:27 Beersheba served as a boundary for Nehemiah.
C. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS OF INTEREST
1. MIDDLE BRONZE: Probably during the time of Abraham, people lived modestly in dwelling pits. Latter, houses built from mud brick may have been used. However, except for a few potsherds found, no remains exist today.
2. IRON AGE: According to the late Yohanan Aharoni (of Tel Aviv University, who excavated here during 8 seasons between 1969-1976) the house dwellings of Strata IX and VIII from the 13th to 11th centuries B.C. represent the first significant archaeological structures of any kind here at Beersheba. In the early part of the Iron Age, Beersheba was built up and fortified in a circular fashion. Circular streets can be seen, running parallel to the circular casemate wall that encompassed the city.
Of the more impressive findings, a gate structure (dating to Solomon), large storehouses, and an imposing governor’s residence was uncovered. Beersheba was also a cultic center for the region. Ahorned altar that was built from un-hewn/cut stone (according to Joshua 8:30-31) was dated to the 8th C.B.C. Also, a brick factory was found, the location where the dried bricks were made for the city’s structures and houses.
Typical to the Israelite period are 4 room houses. These bordered the casemate wall that could have been filled in if needed in order to make the wall stronger against enemy attack. These houses contained 4 rooms, and a second floor supported by pillars that have been reconstructed today. Stairswould have led to a flat roof overlooking a courtyard where animals were kept. A typical house measured about 44 feet by 25 feet.
Of the outer wall structure that bordered the houses themselves, evidence of the damage done by the Assyrians and King Sennacherib’s invasion of the area in 732 B.C. can be seen. Within the city,cooking jars have also been uncovered as well as juglets, and iron blade sickles.
An impressive watering well can be seen that most date to the 10th C.B.C. The well was once cut on the eastern slope of the city just outside the ring of houses that fortified the city. The well, cut on a hill, had to be 4 times deeper than a well dug at the base of the hill. The base of the well on the hill was hewn from solid rock, and the upper part was strengthened by a stone lining. The well reaches some 100 feet down and was no doubt the original area of the well where Abraham and Abimelech made their covenant centuries before.