The altar in Tel Tzafit.
|
Photo credit: Meshulam LevyJuly 26, 2011
An ancient stone altar resembling those used by Jews 3,000 years ago has been discovered at an archeological dig at the Tel Tzafit National Park, site of the biblical Philistine city of Gath, in Israel’s southern coastal plain.
Yuri Yalon
An ancient stone altar resembling those used by Jews 3,000 years ago has been discovered at an archeological dig at the Tel Tzafit National Park, site of the biblical Philistine city of Gath, in Israel’s southern coastal plain.
The discovery on Monday sheds new light on the possible close interaction between the ancient Israelites and their sworn enemies, the Phillistines.
The altar bears a pair of horns on its front and a cornice in the middle. This design is reminiscent of the descriptions of the Jewish altars in the scriptures, and is an unusual find in a city where residents fought the Israelites for centuries.
The excavators were led by Professor Aren Maeir, of Bar Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archeology, working with groups from the universities of Melbourne and Manitoba, Brigham Young University, Central Bible College, several Korean universities and other institutions.
The altar has been dated to the 9th century BCE, during the reign of King Ahab and the prophet Elisha.
“It's not every day that we come across objects from the daily life of the people mentioned in our scripture, and who are so closely connected with the text in the scripture,” Maeir said on Monday.
The excavation site is one of the largest tells (mounds covering ancient ruins) in Israel, and is in an area that has been settled almost continuously from about 5,000 BCE until modern times.
Among the most significant findings to date have been a Philistine temple which contained a number of ritual items dating back to the Iron Age (10th century BCE). “Interestingly, the architectural design of this temple, with its two central pillars, is reminiscent of the architectural image that is described in the well-known biblical story of Samson and the Philistines, when Samson knocks down the temple by standing between the pillars and pushing them down. Perhaps this indicates that the story of Samson reflects a type of temple that was in use in Philistia at the time,” Maeir said when the discovery was made last year.
The site also contained evidence of an earthquake in the 8th century BCE reminiscent of the earthquake mentioned in the biblical book of Amos I:1. The team uncovered walls that had moved and collapsed like a deck of cards as a result of the powerful earthquake, which was assessed at a magnitude 8.0 on the Richter scale, Maeir said.
In addition, the site contained the earliest decipherable Philistine inscription ever discovered, which contains two names similar to the name Goliath. The two names inscribed on the ceramic shard -- Alwt and Wlt – are remarkably similar to the etymological parallels of “Goliath.” This discovery is of particular importance since the Bible says Gath was the home town of Goliath. The archeological find may also be seen as the first clear evidence that the well-known biblical story of the battle between David and Goliath -- and, in particular, the very existence of a figure such as Goliath during the biblical period -- may be based on a clear cultural background, Maeir said.
H/T RonYisrael
