Bryant G. Wood
From May 24 to June 17 a fourth season of excavation was carried out at Kh. el-Maqatir, 15 km (9 mi) north of Jerusalem. The dig is sponsored by the Associates for Biblical Research, endorsed by the Near East Archaeological Society, and under the direction of Bryant G. Wood. A total of 58 people participated in two two-week sessions, with another group of 50 on a Master’s College tour joining the dig for one day. Participating consortium members included Berkshire Institute for Christian Studies; Bryan College; Dallas Theological Seminary; The Master’s College, IBEX (Israel Bible Extension); and Trinity College and Seminary Southwest Campus. Also participating were representatives from Austin Seminary of Biblical Languages, David Lipscomb University, Ozark Christian College and University of Alabama.
15th Century BC (Late Bronze I Period), the Time of the Conquest
The Massive North Wall
The most significant result of this season’s work was further clarification of the plan of the Late Bronze I (15th century BC) fortress from the time of Joshua. In Squares Q9 and R11 well-preserved sections of the north wall were found. The wall here is 4.0 m (13 ft) wide, equal to the largest wall from that time period found in Israel! It would have stood to a height of some 12 m (40 ft)! It is interesting that the dimensions of all of the architecture we have found from the LB I period are in even half-meter increments. It is evident
Picture
North wall of the Late Bronze I fortress at Kh. el-Maqatir. The wall, constructed of fieldstones, is 4.0 m (13 ft) wide. At the point where it connected to the gate it was cut through by a later. (first century BC) Hasmonean wall. (Drawing by the author.)
BSP 12:4 (Fall 1999) p. 111
Picture
North side of the Late Bronze I fortress looking east. The north wall is visible in the lower center and the west half of the gate can be seen in the center. Running left to right across the center is a wall of the Hasmonean fortress that cut through the north wall of the Late Bronze I fortress, just west of the gate.
Hasmonean period in the first century before Christ. It runs roughly north-south and cuts through the area where the LB I wall once joined the gate. When the Hasmoneans built their wall they reused stones from the LB I wall, including those in S14. The pile of smaller stones was left behind, resulting in a negative impression of where the LB I wall once stood. A few large boulders were left behind in S14 as well, evidently originally part of the LB I wall but too heavy for the Hasmonean builders to move.
Work in the Gate Area
No remains have yet been found of the east half of the gate; it appears to have been totally robbed out. In an effort to find some evidence for the east half of the gate, or the wall that connected to it, work was initiated in Square Q19. This was where the north wall originally met the back wall of the east half of the gate. Remnants of a floor were detected in the south part of the square. This would have been just inside the fortification wall. The floor ends where the wall once stood—another negative impression! At Kh. el-Maqatir we are dealing with what was left behind after much robbing, reuse and destruction, and it takes careful detective work to ascertain what was originally there in the LB I period.
More Big Walls
In 1998 the northern edge of a wall was found on the southern side of Square D14, some 85 m south of the gate. Further work this season in Square C14 to the south of D14 has shown that the wall is 3.0 m (10 ft) wide and was constructed in the LB I period. It is curvilinear and appears to be part of a circular tower lying on the same axis as the gate. If it is a tower, the estimated diameter is ca. 20 m (65 ft)! What appears to be another massive wall was uncovered in front (north) of the curvilinear wall on the last day of the season. Perhaps this is the southern wall of the fortress. Future work should provide the answer.
The Ashes of Ai?
In the course of our excavations we are always on the lookout for evidence of fire, since the Bible says the Israelites burned Ai (Jos 8:19, 28). Some of the stones we have excavated, particularly in the gate area, appear to have been burned. The best evidence, however, would be a thick layer of ash with datable pottery in it. Much of the site has been exposed to the elements and also has been under cultivation. Evidence of burning in these areas has long since disappeared.
BSP 12:4 (Fall 1999) p. 113
Picture
Jug and enigmatic cylindrical object from the R11 pit. Dating to the 11th century BC, the jug would have been used to hold liquids such as water or wine. The cylindrical object is made of limestone, is 1/2 cubit (50 cm, 20 in) in length, and weighs 70 pounds. Its function is a mystery. (Drawing by the author.)