Iron Age 2 Chart

Comparative Stratigraphy

Prepared by Vern Crisler

Copyright, 2003

Rough Draft

 

 

 

 

Site/

 

BC Date

Iron 2a

Omri to

Uzziah’s

Earthquake

879-783

Iron 2b

Post-Earth-

quake to Fall

of Jerusalem

783-586

Iron 2c

Neo-Baby-

lonian to

Cyrus

586-537

Persian

 

 

 

537-

Abu-Hawam, Tell

        3

            -

        -

 

Aphek

      X-8

X-7               X-6

        -

 

Arad (?)

               12

11     10     9      8

       7-6

 

Aroer, ‘

      -

             -

2               1

 

Ashdod

10             9

                          8

         7      6

 

Beer-sheba, Tell (?)

7,6            5

4                        3

2        -

 

Beit-Mirsim, Tell

     B-3

         A-2

       A-1

 

Beth-Shan

  Upper 5

           4

 

 

Beth-Shemesh

       2a

           2b

       2c

 

Dan

                 4

3                        2

 

 

Ekron (Miqne?)

        4

(3)                   (2)

         1c  1b

1a

Ful, Tell el-

2- ?

             -

         3

 

Gedi, En (Goren)

         -

             -

         5

 

Gezer

9               8

7                        6

         5

 

Halif, Tell

        7

          7b

        7a

 

Hazor

10             9

8    7    6    5b  5a

 

 

Hesi, Tell el-

 

       7d-7c

    7d(?)

6

Ira, Tell

        -

       -

      city

 

Jemmeh, Tell

     “EF”

         “CD”

     “AB”

 

Jerusalem

      14

13                    12

11           10

10a

Kadesh-barnea

 early fort

    middle fort

   late fort

 

Keisan, Tell

     8c-a

7          6

5     4b   4a

3b

Kheleifeh, Tell el-

  period 1?

                         2

3      4

 

Kinrot, Tell

         4

3                       2

1

 

Lachish

         5

4                       3

        2

 

Megiddo

5b      5a-4b

           4a

3               2

 

Mevorakh, Tell

8              7

            -

         -

 

Qasile, Tell

9              8

            -

             “7”

 

Qiri, Tell

       7a

         7b-c

6              5

 

Ramat-Rahel

         -

                        5b

5a

 

Sa’idiyeh, Tell es-

12(?)  11

10-                   6

 

 

Samaria

1               2

 3        4         5/6

        7

 

Sera’, Tell

         7

              -

        6

 

Shechem

10           9b

9a          8          7

        6

5

Taanach

2a           2b

3                        4

        5

 

Timnah, (Batash)

         4

                         3

        2

 

Tirzah (Farah, N)

        7b

7c          7d      7e

     7e-1

 

Yoqneam

16    15   14

13                   12

       11

 

 

 The above table is based in part on the table presented in Amihai Mazar’s Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, pp. 372-73.  One primary difference is that I follow Wright in placing Shechem 9b as contemporary with Hazor 9 (cf., G. E. Wright, Shechem: The Biography of a Biblical City, p. 153).  Another primary difference is that I accept the Low Chronology for the Iron age as advocated by some historians and archaeologists (e.g., Wightman, Finkelstein, Ussishkin, et al.).  Also, my general chronological framework is summarized as the New Courville Interpretation, a revision of the chronology first set forth by Donovan Courville in his pioneering work, The Exodus Problem and Its Ramifications, 1971.

 

The New Courville Interpretation places the earthquake of Uzziah’s day at the end of Shechem 9b, Samaria 2, Hazor 9, and Megiddo 5a-4b, etc.  We also hold that Lachish 3 was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar 2, contary to Ussishkin’s views.

 

This chart will be updated from time to time as new information is gathered about these site locations.  It is not assumed here that every last one of these sites represents the correct biblical city (Tell Beersheba for instance).