Deus Artefacta: Tall el-Hammam: What was it called?

Fig. 1 The excavations from 2010 of the walls from the various periods
EB, IB, MB, IA (no Late Bronze age).

Every ancient city had a name and the question that needs answering is what was Tall el-Hammam called seeing how it was the largest city in the southern Levant in the EB and one of the largest in the MB period. Surely the largest city would have been mentioned in the Ancient Near Eastern texts. So what are the options and what was this city state called, yes I said city state as a city of this size could be nothing other than a city state (see below)?

From 2005-2020 the archaeological site of Tall el-Hammam, Jordan Valley was excavated for some 15 seasons (Covid has prevented the last season in 2021, but scheduled for Feb 2022). Based on the squares that were excavated it was determined that is was continuously occupied in the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age, Intermediate Bronze, Middle Bronze Age, (no late Bronze Age), then 500 years later the Iron Age. Fig. 2 shows a section of the walls that was excavated in 2010 on the lower tall. Based on the pottery found in each square the stratigraphy was determined for each section of the wall. Fig. 2 shows the various periods of the wall that were built over on top of earlier periods (why rebuild everything when you can just use what is there). The pottery from the various periods is published in Collins, Steven, Carroll M. Kobs, and Michael C. Luddeni. The Tall Al-Hammam Excavations: An Introduction to Tall al-Hammam with Seven Seasons (2005–2011) of Ceramics and Eight Seasons (2005–2012) of Artifacts. Vol. 1. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015.

Fig. 2 The wall labeled from the various periods
EB, IB, MB, IA (no Late Bronze age).

The different walls are indicated in Fig. 2 with various colors to show the different periods. The dates used for the stratigraphy or various periods at the dig (listed in the volume above) are listed as:

Chalcolithic (4600–3600 BC)
Early Bronze age (EB 3600–2500 BC)
Intermediate Bronze (IB 2500–1950 BC)
Middle Bronze age (MB 1950–1500 BC)
NO Late Bronze age (LB 1500–980 BC)
Iron Age (IA 980–332 BC)

What is significant is it was continuously occupied from the late Chalcolithic period to the end of the Middle Bronze period (unusual for a site in this region). One of the southern Levant's most powerful cultural centers for over two millennia with continuous occupation (Collins et al 2011, 2009). Another important Chalcolithic site nearby called Teleilat Ghassul (Ghassulian) went out of business at the end of the Chalcolithic period while Tall el-Hammam thrived (likely because of the water supply in the hot springs and wadi Kefrein around the site).

Fig 3. The EB comparison with other cities from
the same period.

We have had several Jordanian Surveyor over the years who are assigned by the Jordanian Department of Antiquities (DOA). Our favorite is Qutaiba Dasouqi as he sometimes stayed up all night to give us a plot of our squares for the next day, but all have been great).

Based on our excavations and surveying of the site by the DOA it is clear that Tall el-Hammam was 62 acres in the Early Bronze period and Middle Bronze age as the walls are still visible in many places and several sections have been excavated on the upper and lower tall. So we know extent of the perimeter of the city on the upper and lower tall in both periods.

Dr. Leen Ritmeyer, a noted archaeological architect who has worked on our site for many seasons has created chart that put the size of our site into perspective with other site during the same periods. Now while this may seem minor, it is a very important comparison given the prominence/size of this site in the EB and MB period.

Fig 4. The MB comparison with other cities from
the same period.

Dr. Leen Ritmeyer has taken our square drawing and measurements from our Jordanian surveyor and recreated the drawing of the site in the Early Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age. In the upper and lower tall the city fortifications, city gate, temple structure and palace complex were all discovered and the total area of the Lower and Upper tall are calculated at 62 acres in both the Early Bronze age and the Middle Bronze age. These are undeniable facts confirmed by over 60,000 piece of diagnostic pottery by a triple blind read of the pottery and correlated by short lived samples for Carbon Dating. Now this might not mean much to most so lets put the size into perspective in the two periods.

Fig 5. The EB drawing of the archaeological remains

at Tall el-Hammam.

Used with permission (C) Dr. Leen Ritmeyer

Based on our excavations, Dr. Leen Ritmeyer has created a sketch of the EB city (Fig 5) and the MB city (Fig. 6). These give us a good idea of the visual size and layout of the city. I have labelled the MB drawing Fig. 6. to identify the structures that we have excavated, including the city walls, city gate, temple area and palace complex.

Not only can you see how large this city was but in the Early Bronze city (time period of Genesis 10) was the largest city in the Levant and then in the Middle Bronze period was larger and what we are now calling a city state.

Fig 6. The MB drawing of the archaeological remains

at Tall el-Hammam.

Used with permission (C) Dr. Leen Ritmeyer

This city, the largest in the Jordan Valley and southern Levant, was certainly a major center for trade and security for local centers. So was the largest center in the southern levant mentioned in any ANE texts? One would think so.

Now everyone has acknowledged that Tall el-Hammam and the area around it was Abel-Shittim (Heb. meaning “Acacias of Mourning”) and I would agree. Link However, Abel-Shittim (mourning of the Acacia trees) is only mentioned in Numbers, and Joshua (Num 22–24; 25:1–9; Num 27:18–22; Josh 2:1; 3:1 in the Late Bronze period) and not mentioned in Genesis (EB and MB periods).

It is clear from the archaeology of Tall el-Hammam that there was no occupation at this site (fig. 6) in the Late Bronze Age, time of Moses when he came through here with the children of Israel it was a was described as a “desert” (“wasteland below Pisgah” Num 21:20 NIV; “Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah that looks down on the desert” Num 21:20 ESV) and camped out on the plain (They could not all fit on top of Tall el-Hammam but could pitch their tents out on the plain in front of them facing Jericho). So what was this city of Tall el-Hammam called when it was a city in the EB and MB period because it did not exist when Moses came through (no late Bronze occupation at the site which is an archaeological fact apart from a small signal tower on the acropolis)? Abel-Shittim is not mentioned in Genesis but described as a place of morning around acacia trees during Moses' visit.

Now Genesis does list the major cities in the Levant at the time in Genesis 10 (EB period). The author of Genesis mentions the cities of Babylon as: Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh; and in Assyria: Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calahand Resen; in Egypt was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. Then for Canaan Genesis mentions that the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar [Tel Haror] as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, [note that Zoar is note mentioned] as far as Lasha [unidentified]. (Gen 10:9-18)

Now major cities are mentioned in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 for Babylon, Assyria and Egypt and then Canaan. For the southern border of Canaan the city of Gerar (Five seasons of excavations 1982–88) is mentioned, widely accepted to be Tell Haror and documented to be 40 acres.[1] The other cities on the list are disputed and following the destruction of the cities of the Plain (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zebuiim) some would argue that they cannot be found. However, even after the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from the atomic blast there were ruins so some ruins would be evident even after such a long time.

Now lets turn to the largest city in the southern Levant in the Early Bronze age, Tall el-Hammam at 62 acres and try to determine its name. What was it called? It had a name, all cities do and being the largest city at the time it should be listed in Genesis as the other chief cities were. Given its location and size Lot would have been aware of it or visited the site as it was in the area that he headed from Bethel and Ai (Gen 13) and no doubt was known to Abraham and Lot.

Now Salem (Jerusalem) is mentioned in Genesis 14:18 and in the EB and MB period was ca 15 acres and Tall el-Hammam is 4 times larger at 62 acres, so one would expect that it would have been mentioned in Genesis somewhere. So what cities are mention in the Hebrew text in the EB and MB periods?

The Table of Nations mentions the significant cities "the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon [most important Canaanite and Phoenician city-states on the Lebanese coast] [2] toward Gerar [Tel Haror] as far as Gaza [included Ashkelon; 16-150 acres [3], Ashdod ca. 40+ acres [4], Ekron (Tel Miqne)[5] and Gath—together known as the Pentapolis and important Philistine city; Josh 13:1–3] and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim (unidentified by many), as far as Lasha (hot springs of Kallirrhoē, modern Zarqa Ma‘in SW of Madaba but not firmly identified [6])." (Gen 10:19 ESV).

For a map of the area that list these cities see LINK.

Clyde Billington has suggested that Tall el-Hammam was called Heshbon, but I have addressed this bizarre claim in a previous post. Link For the stratigraphy of Heshbon see Link

More likely cities that are mentioned in Genesis

Sodom,
Gomorrah,
Admah,
Zeboyim
Lasha.

I am open to any suggestions. If not one of these then why is the largest city state not mentioned in Genesis when much smaller cities are mentioned? I find it unbelievable to think that this large city was overlooked by the author and that Abraham and Lot did not mention it. Selah (Jerusalem at 15 acres) is mentioned with Abraham so why is a 62 acre site not mentioned. In the EB period there is not a single city that is larger in the southern Levant.

Now which one of these sites was so destroyed that when Moses came through the area, in the Late Bronze period, he would call it a place of mourning among the acacia trees? Tall el-Hammam no longer existed from the archaeology [no Late Bronze structures save a small building on the acropolis that was most likely a signal tower]. All that was there on this site were ruins which is an undeniable fact (see the dig reports). So which major city that existed and was mentioned in Genesis no longer existed in Joshua?

Based on the size alone of Tall el-Hammam the best candidate is one of the destroyed Cities of the Plain and since Sodom was the main city in the couplets listed, it makes the most sense. A catastrophic destruction is just icing on the cake and a slam dunk! It defies logic to argue otherwise and the scientific reports support this with undeniable proof.

_________________________________

Footnotes

[1] E. D. Oren, "Gerar (Place)." In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday 1992), 2:990; E. D. Oren, and M. A. Morrison. "Land of Gerar: Preliminary Report for the Seasons of 1982–1983." BASORSup 24 (1986): 57–87.

[2] M. Sala, "Sidon." In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), n.p.

[3] See Fig. 3 & 4.

[4] Moshe Dothan, “The Foundation of Tel Mor and of Ashdod,” Israel Exploration Journal 23, no. 1 (1973): 1–17.

[5] Not mentioned in Genesis but identified by a primary inscription in situ.

[6] T. C. Mitchell, "Lasha." In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed.). (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 672; G. H. Oller. "Lasha (Place)." In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 4:234; Donner, H. 1963. "Kallirrhoi, Das Sanatorium Herodes des Grossen." Zeitschrift des deutschen Palaestina-Vereins 79: 59–89.

_________