BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Geshurite Fort Excavated

Iron Age Building belonged to the Geshurites, the people of Maachah, who, in the Biblical account, married King David and bore Absalom and Tamar.

Photo: Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority.

A complex was excavated on a hill above the El-Al Canyon in Hispin on the Golan Heights. The Iron Age Fort was dated to the eleventh to tenth century B.C.E., the time of King David. Around the hill, the walls were about five feet wide, made of basalt boulders. The archaeologists believe the fort had probably been built by the Geshurites.

In the Bible, the Geshurite princess Maachah married David, and they had two children together, Absalom and Tamar. After their half-brother Amnon, also David’s child, raped Tamar, Absalom arranged his murder. Then, he fled to safety with his Geshurite grandfather Talmai (2 Samuel 13:20–38). After three years, he returned to Jerusalem, where he plotted to seize David’s throne. Absalom’s death in the rebellion prompted David’s lament, “O, my son! Absalom my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33).

The above explanation was taken from “Rediscovered! The Land of Geshur,” by Moshe Kochavi, Timothy Renner, Ira Spar, and Esther Yadin (BAR, July/Aug 1992). In the article, the archaeologists explain that the Bible provides enough clues to seek historic Geshur in the Golan Heights, at sites such as Tel ‘En-Gev, Tel Soreg, and Mitham Leviah. They express cautious optimism that they may have found signs of the Geshurites.

Photo: Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority.

At the Hispin site that has just been announced, one especially important find is a basalt stone with an engraving of two horned figures. This is similar to a horned figure with spread arms engraved on a stele found at Bethsaida, which archaeologists believe to have been the capital of the Aramean Kingdom of Geshur. Dr. Rami Arav, head of the Bethsaida expedition, believes the figure represents the Moon-God Cult. The similar cultic engraving is one indicator that the Hispin site is also Geshurite.

The excavation of Hispin is conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, under the direction of Barak Tzin and Enno Bron. You can read the English language press release of their find here.

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