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
Authors | Thomas, Zachary |
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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. |
Keywords | Megiddo; United Monarchy; Iron Age IIA; political history; Solomon |
Year | 01 Jan 2022 |
Journal | Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History |
Journal citation | 9 (1), pp. 69-94 |
Publisher | De Gruyter |
ISSN | 2328-9554 |
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 access | Published as non-open access |
Research or scholarly | Research |
Page range | 69-94 |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 27 May 2021 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | May 2021 |
Deposited | 16 Sep 2024 |
Additional information | © Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston, 2021. All rights reserved. |
Place of publication | Germany |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/90y7z/the-political-history-of-megiddo-in-the-early-iron-age-and-the-ambiguities-of-evidence
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