Bull Site
Iron IA | |
Cultures | Canaanite, Israelite, or migratory population |
---|---|
Site notes | |
Discovered | 1977 |
Excavation dates | Apr 1978, Sept 1981 |
Archaeologists | Amihai Mazar |
Condition | In ruins |
The so-called Bull Site is a 12th-century BCE open air ancient cult installation[1] found at Dhahrat et-Tawileh[2] (also spelled Daharat et-Tawileh),[3] in the West Bank. The site is named for the bronze sacred bull statuette which was found at the site in 1977.
Location
The site is located on the Dhahrat et-Tawileh ridge in the hills of the northern West Bank
Discovery
The site was discovered in 1977 by Ofer Broshi, a member of
Excavation history
Two short excavations were conducted by Mazar in April 1978 and September 1981 on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at the
Cult installation
Though there are a number of Iron Age I settlements in the area,[24] the Bull Site lacks any evidence of settlement. Instead it sits on the summit of Dhahrat et-Tawileh and is thought to have served as a cult site for the surrounding settlements due to its hilltop location.[9][25]
Built on bedrock in the 12th century, the site comprises a perimeter wall made from large boulders brought in from elsewhere,[26] and what is thought to be a standing stone or altar with a paved area in front of it next to the enclosure's eastern entrance.[27] Mazar, the excavation director, speculates that a sacred tree likely grew within the site's walls.[28][29]
There is no agreement on the ethnicity of the local settlers who used the site, with suggestions ranging from the Israelites due to the site's location in Mannaseh's tribal allotment (Joshua 17:1–13),[1][30][31] the Canaanites,[32] or migrants from north of Canaan.[33]
Alternative views are that the site could have been a home for a family and their animals, or an enclosure for livestock.[32]
Calf statuette
The statuette, found close to the western wall of the site,[34] is of a Zebu bull measuring 17.5 cm long by 12.4 cm high and is made of bronze.[35] It is notable not only for its naturalistic ears and eyes,[35] but for being the largest such bull statuette found in Palestine.[34] Though Mazar suggests it may be the product of a local Israelite craftsman,[25] other scholars such as Ahlström believe it came either from Galilee, or further north again above the land of Canaan.[33]
There is no consensus about which deity the statuette represents;[36] it could be an image of Baal[37] or Yahweh.[38][39]
See also
- Ancient Canaanite religion
- Sacred bull
- Origins of Judaism
- History of ancient Israel and Judah
References
- ^ a b Bloch-Smith & Alpert Nakhai (1999), p. 76.
- ^ Ahlström (1990)
- ^ Mazar (1982)
- ^ Mazar (1982), pp. 32-33.
- ^ Dorsey (1991), pp. 144-145.
- ^ Miller II (2003), p. 161.
- ^ Zertal (2008), p. 29.
- ^ Alpert Nakhai (2001), p. 170.
- ^ a b c Mazar (1982), p. 33.
- ^ Jabal Tammun on peakvisor.com
- ^ Mazar (1982), p. 41.
- ^ Mazar (1983), p. 34.
- ^ "Israel Museum Collection - Bull Statuette". www.imj.org.il.
- ^ Mazar (1983), pp. 34-35.
- ^ Mazar (1993), pp. 266-267.
- ^ Mullins (2012), pp. 590-592.
- ^ Faust (2006), p. 119.
- ^ Ahlström (1990), pp. 80-81.
- ^ Mazar (1983), pp. 35-36.
- ^ Miller II (2005), p. 46.
- ^ Finkelstein (1998), pp. 94-98.
- ^ Na'aman (1994), pp. 167-169.
- ^ Mazar (1999), pp. 144-148.
- ^ Khirbet Abu Ghamam, Khirbet Tanin, Khirbet Anahum, Khirbet esh-Sheik Seffrin, and esh-Zababde. See Mazar (1983), p. 36.
- ^ a b Mazar (1983), p. 39.
- ^ Zevit (2003), p. 233.
- ^ Mazar (1982), p. 34.
- ^ Mazar (1982), p. 35.
- ^ Mazar (1983), p. 37.
- ^ Mazar (1982), p. 38.
- ^ Alpert Nakhai (1994), pp. 19-29.
- ^ a b Coogan (1987), p. 1.
- ^ a b Ahlström (1990), p. 81.
- ^ a b Ahlström (1990), p. 79.
- ^ a b Mazar (1982), p. 27.
- ^ Ahlström (1990), p. 80.
- ^ Miller (2000), p. 32.
- ^ Smith (2002), pp. 83-84.
- ^ Bloch-Smith & Alpert Nakhai (1999), pp. 76-77.
Bibliography
- Ahlström, Gösta W. (November 1990). "The Bull Figurine from Dhahrat et-Tawileh". S2CID 163751741.
- Alpert Nakhai, Beth (2001). Archaeology and the Religions of Canaan and Israel. Boston, MA: American Schools of Oriental Research. ISBN 978-0897570572.
- Bloch-Smith, Elizabeth; Alpert Nakhai, Beth (1999). "A Landscape Comes to Life". S2CID 163482783.
- .
- Dorsey, David A. (1991). The Roads and Highways of Ancient Israel. The ASOR Library of Biblical and Near Eastern Archaeology. Wipf and Stock. ISBN 978-1-5326-6089-4.
- ISBN 9781845534561.
- .
- Mazar, Amihai (Summer 1982). "The "Bull Site": An Iron Age I Open Cult Place". Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (247): 27–42. S2CID 164091738.
- Mazar, Amihai (September–October 1983). "Bronze Bull Found in Israelite "High Place" from the Time of the Judges". Biblical Archaeology Review. 9 (5).
- ISBN 0-13-276296-X.
- Mazar (1999). "The 'Bull Site' and the 'Einun Pottery' Reconsidered". Palestine Exploration Quarterly. 131 (2): 144–148. .
- ISBN 9781841271422.
- Miller II, Robert (2003). "Gazetteer of Iron I Sites in the North-Central Highlands". In ISBN 0-89757-026-X.
- Miller II, Robert D. (2005). Chieftains of the Highland Clans: A History of Israel in the Twelfth and Eleventh Centuries B.C. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: ISBN 978-0802809889.
- Mullins, Robert (2012). "The Bull Site". Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception. Vol. 4. De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3110183559.
- Na'aman, Nadav (1994). "The 'Conquest of Canaan' in the Book of Joshua and in History". In Finkestein, Israel; Na'aman, Nadav (eds.). From Nomadism to Monarchy. ISBN 965-217-117-4.
- Alpert Nakhai, Beth (1994). "What's a Bamah? How Sacred Space Functioned in Ancient Israel". Biblical Archaeology Review. 20 (3).
- Parker, Simon B. (1997). Ugaritic Narrative Poetry. ISBN 978-0788503375.
- ISBN 9781845534561.
- ISBN 978-9004163690.
- ISBN 978-1575060811.