Papers by David Ben-Shlomo
במעבה ההר קובץ תשיעי, 2019
UGARIT-FORSCHUNGEN, 2018
The article discusses trade contacts, economy and administration in Iron Age Jerusalem
with a foc... more The article discusses trade contacts, economy and administration in Iron Age Jerusalem
with a focus on new results from a large-scale compositional analysis of
Iron Age II pottery from site. The results that will be briefly described indicate
that trade in pottery vessels with other regions of the Levant was very limited.
Relatively more connections were found with Philistia and the Shephelah, in particular
during the Iron IIA. Many of the pottery containers probably reflect commodities
mobilized from different regions in the Judean hills and the hinterland
of Jerusalem. This latter phenomenon might be somewhat more distinct during
the Iron IIB. The results and their implications are then confronted with other
archaeological and textual evidences existing on the nature and extent of trade
contacts, as well administration and taxation in Judah in general and for Jerusalem
in particular during this period.
The article discusses a ceramic pomegranate found in the recent excavations at Tel Shiloh. The co... more The article discusses a ceramic pomegranate found in the recent excavations at Tel Shiloh. The context of the find is described as well as other appearances of similar objects in the southern Levant, and the significance of the pomegranate as a symbol in Levantine and Near Eastern iconography. While the context is mixed, it is suggested the object should be dated to the Iron Age, possibly the late Iron Age I or Iron Age II as most parallels come from southern Judah during this period.
The article examines the issue of production of cooking vessels in Judah during the Iron Age II (... more The article examines the issue of production of cooking vessels in Judah during the Iron Age II (ca. 1000-586 BCE) and surveys some new and previously published compositional studies of cooking vessels in Iron Age II Judah, employing petrographic analysis. In several sites in Judah, particularly in the Negev, most cooking vessels were found to be imported from rather distant locations. This may suggest the existence of specialized workshops for cooking pot production. In addition, the evidence for a distinct technological change in cooking ware production methods during the Iron II is discussed. Gloria London has pointed out a break in the ceramic tradition of cooking pot production during the Iron II, represented by changes in tempering and vessel shapes. The paper examines whether the existing petrographic data from sites in Judah supports this observation, and suggests avenues for further research.
Proto historic archaeological sites (ca. 8,000-3,000 BCE Calibrated) create a special challenge f... more Proto historic archaeological sites (ca. 8,000-3,000 BCE Calibrated) create a special challenge for heritage management and education. These sites are usually small and do not have well preserved or impressive architecture. Furthermore, it is difficult to preserve and reconstruct these sites. In terms of public and national heritage and education these sites are also difficult to be linked to current cultures and narratives of existing communities. A case study of the Jordan Valley in Israel will be inspected with two major sites: Sha'ar Hagolan of the Late Neolithic period, and Tel Tsaf of the Middle Chalcolithic period. Both sites are relatively large and illustrate a sophisticated and complex material culture, architecture and site planning. In addition to having the challenges noted above these sites are also located in modern agricultural areas, further, impeding their preservation. The sites are currently not open for the touristic public. Possible solutions for exposure to the public and heritage management and education will be discussed. The fact that these are proto-historic sites, predating the rise of monotheistic religions in the Near East, could in fact serve as an advantage in this region, since this can bypass current political and ideological disagreements and conflicts in the Middle East which are national or religion based.
Strata, 2018
An accumulation of pottery from a re-used Roman cistern at Tel Hebron (Roumeida) yielded 8–9th ce... more An accumulation of pottery from a re-used Roman cistern at Tel Hebron (Roumeida) yielded 8–9th centuries CE early Islamic pottery. Several fragments of jugs, jars and cooking pots were analyzed petrographically to determine their clay source. Most forms were locally made, yet the sampled cooking pots and storage jars were imported. These came from various regions including the southern coast and Egypt. Importing various vessel types from
several regions to Hebron indicates strong connections with regional trade routes during the Abassid period.
Religions, 2019
The paper surveys and discusses the updated archaeological evidence for Philistine cult and relig... more The paper surveys and discusses the updated archaeological evidence for Philistine cult and religion, and cult and religion in Philistia during the Iron Age. The evidence can be related to public or official cult, represented in temple and shrine structures, and to that coming from households, representing possibly more popular religion. The evidence of public cult, so far mostly from peripheral sites, includes largely cultural elements linked with the local Canaanite cult and religion. Yet, within households at the Philistine cities there is more evidence for cultic elements of Aegean affinity during Iron Age I. In particular, figurines and ceramic figurative vessels and objects will be discussed. It seems that the Philistine religion may have retained certain distinctive elements also during Iron Age II. Nevertheless, it is still difficult to reconstruct the details of the nature of the Philistine religion due to the limited amount of evidence and lack of textual records.
The article describes and discusses the results of the archaeological excavations at Tel Ḥevron P... more The article describes and discusses the results of the archaeological excavations at Tel Ḥevron Plot 53 during 2017. These were follow-up excavations to the larger ones conducted during 2014, and were mainly aimed towards the completion of the exposure and restoration of two large ritual baths (miqwa'ot), dated to the early Roman period. In the course of the excavation of the western miqweh, a layer of early Islamic pottery was also detected, suggesting another late use of this area, during an additional period not recorded so far at this part of the site. The final plan of the miqwa'ot, their significance, as well as the finds recovered from this excavation will be discussed. These also include a group of reconstructed pottery vessels found in the inner space of the western miqweh, representing the latest re-use of the space during the early Islamic period.
The Shephelah was a geographical buffer zone between the
central hills of Judea and the coastal p... more The Shephelah was a geographical buffer zone between the
central hills of Judea and the coastal plains of southern Israel
during the Iron Age as well as in other periods. The region was
relatively densely occupied during the Iron Age II. This paper
will examine several settlements of the Shephelah during the
Iron Age through the lens of pottery study and in particular pottery
production and petrographic analysis. Over five hundred
Iron Age II pottery vessels from the sites of Khirbet Qeiyafa,
Tel Sochoh, Tell eṣ-Ṣafiji/Gath, Tel Burna and Tel ‘Eton were
analyzed by thin section petrography. The comparative results
show certain diachronic changes in the usage of raw materials
in the different sites during the Iron Age.
Feasting has recently attracted much attention in archaeological and anthropological research (e.
The article describes and discusses a group of previously unpublished clay sealings and seals fro... more The article describes and discusses a group of previously unpublished clay sealings and seals from Tel Miqne-Ekron against the background of comparable evidence from other Philistine city sites. The character of the motifs on the seals and seal impressions as well as the nature and function of the clay sealings are examined. Most items date to the Iron Age I, which may indicate the existence of a recording system in Philistia during this period. These fi nds may shed new light on the development of the administration and political structure of the Philistines during this phase of their history. Archaeologists have uncovered only very few written documents from the early Iron Age southern Levant (12th−10th centuries BCE). Thus, pictorial evidence, which is also quite rare, has taken on an important role. This article, which should be regarded as a preliminary overview, will focus on evidence of Iron Age sealings and seals from Philistine cities. In particular, new material from Tel Miqne-Ekron will be presented. 1 Both the form and function of the items and the motifs they display should be studied together; special attention should be given to sealings and bullae rather than to the seals themselves, as will be demonstrated below. Clay sealings are uncommon fi nds in excavations, and appear much more rarely in publications than seals (which were made primarily of stone). The group of sealings and seals from Tel Miqne-Ekron, as well as additional evidence from other Philistine sites, indicate that stamp seals were used for impressing various types of sealings. The question of the language and scripts of the early Philistines has been raised several times in relation to some of the glyptic fi nds from Philistia (e.g.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
A sizable petrographic study was initiated in order to approach several issues. The study include... more A sizable petrographic study was initiated in order to approach several issues. The study includes 133 samples of which 75 are ‗stands' (including altar CS46 and naos CS47), seven fire pans, 16 chalices, four various cultic objects and 31 pottery vessels, mostly bowls and juglets. Evidently the majority of the sample (102 samples, or 77%) can be considered as part of the cultic assemblage while the rest (23%) were possibly mundane vessels (although these could have been used in cultic practices as well). The present study was aimed towards several issues: 1. To ascertain the provenance of the cultic stands and other paraphernalia 2. To analyze technological aspects of the production of the cultic objects (as use of specific tempering and to establish the degree of levigation of clay, firing temperature etc.), both in comparison to themselves (by examining the level of homogeneity within the groups of items) and to the regular pottery vessels from the favissa. 3. To establish whether the cultic stands were all produced by the same workshop or by various producers; as well as whether different types of cultic vessels (as stands, fire pans or chalices) were produced in a similar place and manner. 4. To examine the fabric and propose a provenance for several unusual or rare items. 9.2. METHODOLOGY Samples were obtained by thin sectioning the pottery sherds. First a slice, several mm thick was cut from the sherd. One side was flattened and affixed with transparent epoxy to a microscope slide. After hardening and drying, the other side was thinned to a thickness of ca. 0.03 mm (30 microns), in which most of the minerals is transparent. The slides were examined through a petrographic polarizing microscope (in this study Nikon and Zeiss [for photography] models were used, magnifications of X25-X400). The fabric description of the slides includes general characteristics of the matrix (when identified as calcareous, ferruginous etc.), optical activity, inclusion spacing, percentage of voids and general description of the silt component of the matrix.
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Papers by David Ben-Shlomo
with a focus on new results from a large-scale compositional analysis of
Iron Age II pottery from site. The results that will be briefly described indicate
that trade in pottery vessels with other regions of the Levant was very limited.
Relatively more connections were found with Philistia and the Shephelah, in particular
during the Iron IIA. Many of the pottery containers probably reflect commodities
mobilized from different regions in the Judean hills and the hinterland
of Jerusalem. This latter phenomenon might be somewhat more distinct during
the Iron IIB. The results and their implications are then confronted with other
archaeological and textual evidences existing on the nature and extent of trade
contacts, as well administration and taxation in Judah in general and for Jerusalem
in particular during this period.
several regions to Hebron indicates strong connections with regional trade routes during the Abassid period.
central hills of Judea and the coastal plains of southern Israel
during the Iron Age as well as in other periods. The region was
relatively densely occupied during the Iron Age II. This paper
will examine several settlements of the Shephelah during the
Iron Age through the lens of pottery study and in particular pottery
production and petrographic analysis. Over five hundred
Iron Age II pottery vessels from the sites of Khirbet Qeiyafa,
Tel Sochoh, Tell eṣ-Ṣafiji/Gath, Tel Burna and Tel ‘Eton were
analyzed by thin section petrography. The comparative results
show certain diachronic changes in the usage of raw materials
in the different sites during the Iron Age.
with a focus on new results from a large-scale compositional analysis of
Iron Age II pottery from site. The results that will be briefly described indicate
that trade in pottery vessels with other regions of the Levant was very limited.
Relatively more connections were found with Philistia and the Shephelah, in particular
during the Iron IIA. Many of the pottery containers probably reflect commodities
mobilized from different regions in the Judean hills and the hinterland
of Jerusalem. This latter phenomenon might be somewhat more distinct during
the Iron IIB. The results and their implications are then confronted with other
archaeological and textual evidences existing on the nature and extent of trade
contacts, as well administration and taxation in Judah in general and for Jerusalem
in particular during this period.
several regions to Hebron indicates strong connections with regional trade routes during the Abassid period.
central hills of Judea and the coastal plains of southern Israel
during the Iron Age as well as in other periods. The region was
relatively densely occupied during the Iron Age II. This paper
will examine several settlements of the Shephelah during the
Iron Age through the lens of pottery study and in particular pottery
production and petrographic analysis. Over five hundred
Iron Age II pottery vessels from the sites of Khirbet Qeiyafa,
Tel Sochoh, Tell eṣ-Ṣafiji/Gath, Tel Burna and Tel ‘Eton were
analyzed by thin section petrography. The comparative results
show certain diachronic changes in the usage of raw materials
in the different sites during the Iron Age.