BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

An Israelite Palace East of the Jordan?

Carved ashlar blocks give clues to famed biblical site

A man carrying a goat, part of a banquet scene. Drawn after Pola et al. Citation 2016, Fig. 54 by Ruhama Bonfil, The Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The twin sites of Tall adh-Dhahab, located just across the Jordan River from the ancient cities of Samaria and Shechem, are often identified as biblical Mahanaim and Panuel. Although mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible, not much is known about either site. A new proposal in the journal Tel Aviv, however, suggests that a group of previously published carved ashlar blocks uncovered during earlier German excavations may point to Mahanaim being the site of an ancient Israelite palace.

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Palatial Building Blocks

At its height in the ninth century BCE, the Northern Kingdom of Israel stretched east across the Jordan River to the region of Gilead, in modern northwestern Jordan. It is in this region, along the biblical Jabbok River, that the sites of Tall adh-Dhahab are located. Both contain evidence of having been occupied during the Iron Age (c. 1200–586 BCE) and the Hellenistic period (c. 332–37 BCE). Some of the most interesting objects from the sites, however, are a group of ashlar stones dated to the Iron Age but incorporated into the later Hellenistic structures.

A segment of a garment probably of a participant in a banquet. Drawn after Pola et al. Citation 2016, Fig. 60 by Ruhama Bonfil, The Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Several of the ashlar blocks include clear incisions: carved images of lyre players, horses, lions, palm trees, and even a man carrying a goat. These blocks likely once belonged to larger figurative depictions, possibly of feasts and hunting scenes. While many of these depictions are similar to artistic motifs used throughout the ancient Near East, especially Syro-Anatolia, the recent study proposes interpreting several of the images as signs of Israelite control.

According to the paper, a number of the ashlar blocks bear images with clear thematic parallels in the iconography of Kuntillet ‘Ajrud, the well-known Iron Age waystation found in northeastern Sinai. Four blocks specifically stand out: those depicting lyre players, horses, lions, and palm trees. All four themes have clear parallels in the iconography of Kuntillet ‘Ajrud, where they were discovered painted on pottery or decorating walls. Given that Kuntillet ‘Ajrud is often considered an Israelite site, these common iconographic themes could indicate a shared socio-political context, which in turn may help date the sites at Tall adh-Dhahab to about the same time as Kuntillet ‘Ajrud, which most scholars believe was first built during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 793–753 BCE).

This brings up an interesting question: Where are the ashlars from? With some weighing as much as 440 pounds, it is likely that these large sandstone blocks were originally crafted for an administrative center or palace. After all, during the Bronze and Iron Ages, it was not at all unusual to have depictions of animals and feasts adorning palace walls. While no such palace has been excavated in the area, the article’s authors suggest the ashlars may be evidence that one once existed. This proposal, in turn, could help explain the biblical text, as Mahanaim plays an important role in a number of key events. Notable among these is the crowning and reign of Ish-Bosheth (2 Samuel 2:8–9), David’s journey to Mahanaim while fleeing from Absalom (2 Samuel 17:22–29), and the reference to Mahanaim as the center of a Solomonic administrative district (1 Kings 4:14). If there was a palace at Mahanaim, it would help explain the site’s regional importance and its role in how the biblical writers remembered these events.

Related reading in Bible History Daily:

Does a Jordan Valley Site Reveal the Origin of Ancient Israel?

Jordanian Oasis Reveals Ancient Burial Customs

All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library:

Early Temple Found in Jordan

Archaeological Views: Tall Jalul: A Look from Behind the Jordan

Ammon, Moab and Edom: Gods and Kingdoms East of the Jordan