Research Articles: Judges-United Monarchy

Archaeological and historical articles dealing with events from the period of the Judges, and the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon, circa 1350-975 B.C.

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The Philistines Enter Canaan: Were They Egyptian Lackeys or Invading Conquerors? 7/12/2010 - by Bryant G. Wood PhD

At very beginning of the 12th century B.C. - the beginning of the period archaeologists call Iron Age I - the Sea Peoples swept out of the Aegean to make their appearance in the archeological record and in ancient literary references. The Philistines ultimately settled on and dominated some of the choicest land in Canaan - the agriculturally rich coastal strip from Gaza in the south to Tell Qasile, near modern Tel Aviv, in the north - through which passed one of the world's most important international trade routes. Soon the Philistines began exerting pressure on the Israelite tribes farther inland. This conflict prompted the Israelites to form a monarchy in the mid - 11th century in order to meet the Philistine threat more effectively. After about 150 years of dominance in the area, the Philistines faded from the scene - overpowered by the Israelites under King David - and thereafter played only a minor role in events until, in about 600 B.C., they disappeared altogether.

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Biblical Archaeology in 2010: Going Strong Still! 6/10/2010 - by Brian Janeway PhD (c)

ASOR's annual meetings are its focal event of the year. Approximately 750 scholars, students, and interested members of the public come together for three intensive days of academic lectures, poster presentations, business meetings, evening receptions, and general conversation. This past year they were held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Some of the sessions are directly related to the Bible; for example two sessions on the exciting new finds at Khirbet Qeiyafa, which are associated with the reign of King David...

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Ancient Hebrew Inscription Dated to time of David 1/10/2010 - by Bryant G. Wood PhD

The inscription, written in ink on clay, is the earliest yet found in Hebrew. It was discovered about 18 months ago in a dig at Khirbet Qeiyafa, near Emek Ha'ela. While it was quickly dated, its language remained uncertain until Prof. Gershon Galil was able to demonstrate that it was an early form of Hebrew - containing roots commonly found in Hebrew, but which are very rare in other Semitic languages.

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Tyre and the Tell El-Amarna Tablets 11/20/2009 - by Gary Byers MA

Tyre’s significance in the 14th century BC can be seen in the Amarna Letters. These cuneiform-inscribed clay tablets found in Tell el-Amarna, Egypt, represent correspondence between minor Canaanite kings ruling under Egyptian auspices during the reign of Egyptian Pharaohs Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten. This is the century immediately following Joshua’s initial assault on Canaan, according to Biblical chronology...

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In Quest of the Temple Mount 11/3/2009 - by Gary Byers MA

In a sense, this book is the culmination of Leen Ritmeyer’s life and career. Of the April 1984 International Congress of Biblical Archaeology in Jerusalem, when his collaborative work with Benjamin Mazar was presented, Ritmeyer wrote, “At this defining moment in my life, I realized the unraveling of the mysteries of the Mount had become my personal quest”...

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Carbon 14 Dating Controversy in the Iron Age Period 6/16/2009 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Carbon-14 dating is the center of debate as it pertains to dating from the Iron Age period. The date of the transition from the archaeological period known as Iron Age I to Iron Age IIa is a particularly hotly disputed topic...

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“We are Standing on ‘Holy Ground’” at Kiriath Jearim 2/5/2009 - by Wilbur Fields PhD

Kiriath Jearim served as a boundary marker between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. The Ark of the Covenant was brought to Kiriath Jearim early in the ministry of Samuel (about 1070 BC). It had been taken from the town of Shiloh into battle against the Philistines, and was captured...

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Dagon: The Philistine Fish God 9/4/2008 - by John Roskoski PhD

In the book of Judges, we read how the Israelites served “Baal and Ashtaroth”, pagan gods of the various nations (Judges 2:11-13), but Dagon, the god of the Philistines, is mentioned by name and often depicted as a “fish-god”. How is Dagon different than the other idols?

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Between the Pillars: Revisiting "Samson and the House of Dagon" 7/24/2008 - by John Roskoski PhD

The historicity of this heroic account has been long debated among scholars. Indeed, many scholars seem hesitant to comment on the historicity of the Samson narratives at all. From the scholarly debate over the destruction of the Gaza temple two diametrically opposed viewpoints have emerged...

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From Ramesses to Shiloh: Archaeological Discoveries Bearing on the Exodus-Judges Period 4/2/2008 - by Bryant G. Wood PhD

Attempts to correlate the findings of archaeology with the biblical record for the period under review have seemingly met with insurmountable ob­stacles. Much of the scholarly community today has despaired of making any valid connections and has dismissed biblical history prior to the king­dom period as nothing more than myth and legend...

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King Solomon in His Ancient Context 7/1/2007 - by Alan Millard PhD

The Solomon Narrative describes a greater range of material culture than other parts of Kings. It therefore allows greater possibility for assessment in the context of the ancient world: can the creations attributed to Solomon’s craftsmen be set comfortably in the tenth century, or do they belong only to later years?

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Abimelech at Shechem 2/13/2006 - by Bryant G. Wood PhD

For some 800 years, from the time of Jacob until the time of Gideon, Shechem was an important highland urban center controlling the area from Megiddo to Jerusalem. It is no surprise, then, that Gideon’s son Abimelech went to the leaders of Shechem to gain support for his failed attempt to become king of the Israelite tribes. Three archaeological discoveries at Shechem relate to the narrative of Judges 9...

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The United Monarchy Under David and Solomon 9/26/2005 - by Gary Byers MA

During the past half century, many in the academic world have come to discount the historical basis for most of the Bible's early characters. You can pretty much throw away the first six books of your Bible and not really miss a thing!

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