The Political History of Megiddo in the early Iron Age and the Ambiguities of Evidence

Journal article


Thomas, Zachary. (2022). The Political History of Megiddo in the early Iron Age and the Ambiguities of Evidence. Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History. 9(1), pp. 69-94. https://doi.org/10.1515/janeh-2020-0020
AuthorsThomas, Zachary
Abstract

This article reviews the major problems in the political history of Megiddo during the early Iron Age (Iron Age I–IIA), at the time of the early monarchic period in Israel (eleventh–ninth centuries BCE). Megiddo has been central to an ongoing debate over the nature of the early monarchic period in Israel and the exact chronology of the Iron Age I–IIA periods. This importance derives both from the extensive excavations of the relevant strata at Megiddo (VIA, VB and VA-IVB) as well as Megiddo’s appearance in relevant historical sources, namely the Hebrew Bible, which claims that Solomon “built” Megiddo, and its appearance in the campaign list of pharaoh Sheshonq I. Though the fragment of a stela of Sheshonq I was found at Megiddo, it was only found after having been discarded and so its stratigraphic attribution is unclear. Radiocarbon dating from these strata has assisted to some degree but still left dating and historical questions quite open. This article will demonstrate that the political history of Megiddo during the early Iron Age is beset with ambiguities in the evidence, which have been divided into seven ambiguities for the purpose of the discussion here. When these ambiguities are taken into account, it becomes clear that the interpreter has much latitude in making their reconstruction, specifically in how they date strata and associate them with putative historical developments. Different cases can be made for associating particular strata and their termination with Solomon, Sheshonq or even later kings, but none can claim to objectively be the correct or superior reconstruction.

KeywordsMegiddo; United Monarchy; Iron Age IIA; political history; Solomon
Year01 Jan 2022
JournalJournal of Ancient Near Eastern History
Journal citation9 (1), pp. 69-94
PublisherDe Gruyter
ISSN2328-9554
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1515/janeh-2020-0020
Web address (URL)https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/janeh-2020-0020/html
Open accessPublished as non-open access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range69-94
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online27 May 2021
Publication process dates
AcceptedMay 2021
Deposited16 Sep 2024
Additional information

© Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston, 2021. All rights reserved.

Place of publicationGermany
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