Trove of 3,600-year-old artifacts found near Judean foothills
Ancient gold, silver artifacts dating back to the Canaanite period are discovered in an archaeological site on the Judean foothills • Discovery includes fabric, which in itself is a rare find • Artifacts placed in what is believed to be a prayer complex.
Dan Lavie
The medallion found in the dig | Photo credit: Klara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority
A treasure trove of ancient gold and silver artifacts dating back some 3,600 years was recently discovered in Tel Gezer, an archaeological site on the Judean foothills, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced Monday.
Gezer, or Tel Gezer (Hebrew: גֶּזֶר)(also Tell el-Jezer) is an archaeological site in the foothills of the Judaean Mountains at the border of the Shfela region roughly midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is now an Israeli national park. In the Hebrew Bible, Gezer is associated with Joshua and Solomon.
It became a major fortified Canaanite city-state in the first half of the 2nd millennium BCE. It was later destroyed by fire and rebuilt. The Amarna letters mention kings of Gezer swearing loyalty to the Egyptian Pharaoh. Its importance was due in part to the strategic position it held at the crossroads of the ancient coastal trade route linking Egypt with Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia, and the road to Jerusalem and Jericho, both important trade routes.
Discoveries related to biblical archaeology include: a probable Canaanite high place with ten monumental megaliths (up-ended stones, each of which is called a masseba or matseva, plural massebot/matsevot; such are found elsewhere in Israel, but the Gezer massebot are the most impressive examples); a double cave beneath the high place, but predating and not connected to it; 13 inscribed boundary stones, making it the first positively identified biblical city; a six-chambered gate similar to those found at Hazor and Megiddo; and a large Canaanite water system comprising a tunnel going down to a spring, similar to those found in Jerusalem, Hazor and Megiddo.
The Canaanite period artifacts were found by a joint excavation mission of the IAA, Parks Authority and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Lead archaeologists Dr. Eli Yanai of the Antiquities Authority, Dr. Zvika Zuk of the Parks Authority, and Drs. Jim Parker and Dan Warner -- both of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary -- agreed that the trove was most likely part of a ceremonial offering that was laid in the center of the multilevel structure being excavated.
The artifacts were found in a pot wrapped in fabric that was still somewhat intact. An analysis of the fibers and the method of weaving indicated the fabric was a type of linen
The fabric find is highly important in and of itself, as there have only been two fabric finds in Israel dating back to the Canaanite period.
The find includes five artifacts, three of which were made of silver that has become considerably corroded, preventing researchers from studying them properly. The other two items include a silver medallion and a gold-framed seal.
The medallion consists of a silver disk on which an eight-pointed star is engraved. The disk is flanked by two thin "horns," from which it would have connected to a rope or a chain.
Archaeologist Dr. Irit Tziper said that the symbols on the disk are known to represent Canaanite gods similar to the Mesopotamian gods Ishtar and Sin.
The second artifact found was a gold-framed Egyptian seal from the Hyksos period.
Analysis of the artifacts indicates that the trove was placed in its location as an offering in a structure likely seeking to synthesize Mesopotamian-Canaanite gods and Egyptian culture. The structure complex itself is part of a Middle Canaanite period city that includes an impressive gate, a wall and the large Canaanite water tower known to date.
"Gezer was one of the most important cities in the land of Israel during the Canaanite period," Parks Authority Director Shaul Goldstein said.
"Its importance continued through the period when King Saul rebuilt the city. Finding this trove is a significant accomplishment that shines a light on the Canaanite culture in Israel 3,600 years ago, and further cements Gezer's position as a significant archaeological site."
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