Bethel is a biblical city identified with the Arab village of Beitin in southwestern Samaria. This identification was first suggested by the American explorer Edward Robinson on the basis of the preservation of the name ‘Bethel’ within the Arabic name, as well as its location matching the descriptions of the site by the Church Fathers. This identification has been accepted by most scholars, although a few believe that Bethel was located at el-Bireh near Ramallah. Given that a significant portion of the tel lies beneath the modern village, it’s difficult to estimate the exact size of the tel, but it’s believed that it covers roughly 7.5 acres.
History of the Site’s Research
About half of the site was excavated in the years 1934, 1954, 1957 and 1960 by a joint expedition of the American School of Oriental Research (ASOR) and the Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary. The first season was directed by William Albright and his assistant James Kelso. The next three seasons were directed by Kelso. The excavations’ report was published in 1968 and has since led to disputations among a few researchers (William Dever, Israel Finkelstein and Lily Singer-Avitz, and Oded Lipschits) regarding the dating of the layers and findings, and the research method itself.
The Site during the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages
Prior to the biblical period, the settlement at the site spanned three main periods: The Chalcolithic period (end of the 4th millennium BCE), the Intermediate Bronze Age (second half of the 3rd millennium BCE) and the Middle Bronze Age (19th-17th centuries BCE), which was one of the peaks of the settlement. During that period, the site was fortified both by a city wall and buildings with thick walls. The site was eventually destroyed and rebuilt during the Late Bronze Age, circa the 14th-13th centuries BCE. Findings from this period include a cylinder seal with the image of the goddess Ashtoreth and a sistrum handle (a kind of musical instrument) made from bone. This settlement was destroyed circa the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 12th century.
The Site during the Iron Age
The site was resettled during the Iron Age I (12th-11th centuries BCE), likely by Israelites. This is reflected by Settlement-Era pottery and usage of a cultic stele as spolia in the form of a construction block. However, several Canaanite cultic objects were also found, such as: a tablet with the image of the goddess Ashtoreth and a Baal figurine. Other findings include: A spearhead, arrowheads and scarabs. The site was likely abandoned around the end of the 11th century BCE and resettled in a smaller capacity during the 9th century BCE. Over the course of the 8th century the site was characterized by a combination of Judahite and Israelite pottery. Other findings include: a makeup pallet, arrowheads, knife blades and a small ostracon with the Hebrew letters ‘PD’. It is unclear whether the site was destroyed during the 8th century BCE. During the 7th century BCE the settlement at the site was small.
The Site during the Hellenistic through Roman Periods
Some believe that the site wasn’t resettled until the end of the Hellenistic period, and others believe that the site was settled in minimal capacity over the course of the Persian period (4th century BCE), and at the end of the Persian period and the beginning of the Hellenistic period, the site grew larger. The site remained active over the course of the Hasmonean through the Roman periods. Among the few Hellenistic findings may be counted a handle engraved with a human figure, possibly that of the god Mercury.
The Israelite Cultic Center at Bethel
During the era of the Israelite Kingdom (the Northern Kingdom) there was a cultic center at the site of Bethel (see, e. g., 1 Kings 12:32-33; 2 Kings 10:29). Over the years several attempts at finding the site of the cultic center were made. In recent years, a number of researchers have suggested that the cultic center was located at E. P. 914, roughly 900m east of the village of Bitin. In a survey conducted at the site, a few structures were found, as well as pottery from different eras, and in particular from the Middle Bronze and Iron II periods. In 2016 a small excavation as conducted at the site, directed by archaeologist Aharon Tavger. The excavations reinforced the conclusion that the site was active mainly during the Middle Bronze and Iron II periods. Iron II findings include three figurines, pottery vessels and animal bones, mainly of sheep.
Bibliography
A. Tavger, ‘E.P. 914 East OF Bitin and the Question of the Location of the Early Cultic Site of Bethel’, in: A. Tavger and others (eds.), In the Highland’s Depth 5 (2015), pp. 49-69.
W. G. Dever, ‘Archaeological Methods and Results: A Review of Two Recent Publications’, Orientalia 40 (1971), pp. 459-471
I. Finkelstein and L. Singer-Avitz, ‘Reevaluating Bethel’, ZDPV 125 (2009), pp. 33-48.
J. L. Kelso, ‘The Excavation of Bethel (1934-1960), AASOR 39 (1968), pp. i.-128.
O. Lipschits, ‘Bethel Revisited’, in: O. Lipschits et al, Rethinking Israel – Studies in the History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel in Honor of Israel Finkelstein (Winona Lake, 2017), pp. 233-246.