Sariel Shalev

1. Non destructive analyses of archaeological metal artefacts & the stories in the Bible: could they meet? Special opening lecture for ISRANDT & ASNT/ISRAEL 27.4.2010 Sariel Shalev University of Haifa

2. This lecture is dedicated with love and gratitude to Gabi Shoef and his ‘highly expensive’ non destructive analyses of archaeological metal artefacts some 22 years ago. Sariel Shalev University of Haifa

3. ... From the time of the Patriarch until the time of struggle between the Israelites and the Philistines in Canaan (MBI – IA1: 1800-1000 BCE) • Sariel Shalev • With contributions of: • Elad Caspi • Naama Yahalom • Sana Shilstein • Y. Levy & M. Pfilstoker • Ayelt Gilboa & Ilan Sharon • Rahel Ben-Dov & A. Biran • Amihi Mazar • (ISF Research Grant)

4. The socio-political structure of Canaan in the MBA & ND Analysis Preliminary neutron diffraction study of two fenestrated axes from the ‘Enot Shuni’ Bronze Age cemetery (Israel) El’ad Caspi , Hanania Ettedgui, Oleg Rivin, Martin Peilsto¨cker, Beni Breitman, Izhak Hershko, Sana Shilstein, Sariel Shalev

5. The neutron diffraction & radiography of the axes from Shuni

6. So, could it be the ‘Sheppard's Chief’ symbol of status? ‘‘Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold (Genesis 13: 2). Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. (Genesis 13: 5). And quarrelling arose between Abram’s herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.’’ (Genesis 13: 7).

7. If only life could be so simple: The similar finds from Byblos

8. Did the Patriarchs go from Canaan down to Egypt? HnumHotep tomb, Beni Hassan, Semites coming to Egypt

9. What could we add to the known material and metallurgy? Similar metals were found in Israel and in Egypt and were analyzed recently. On the basis of “old” and “new” data we could now check the metal composition typical to each of the metal weapons typical to this period.

10. How the new metallurgical data could affect the chronology? Tin Bronze (16%-5% Sn) with no arsenic (+1TED) Axes from Tell el-Dab’a, Egypt. Identical axes from Rishon LeZion, Israel

11. Metal composition of shafthole axes from MBIIa and MBIIb

12. Compositional characterization of the shafthole axes • Flat shafthole axes were similarly made of: • Arsenical copper (3.5%-4.3% As) with no tin • Tin bronze (12%-5% Sn) with less then 0.5% arsenic. (+3TED) • Lead in much lower quantities then in the above (5%-1% Pb) was detected in both alloying types. (+1TED) • Rounded shafthole axes were also made of: • Arsenical copper (1.6%-3.4% As) with no tin (+4TED). • All the tin bronzes have similar amount of tin (6.5%-6.8% Sn),(+3TED) • (2TED only Fe, As 0.5 or n.d.; 1TED only Cu) R. LeZion KV-98 19e x 100 Rumeida

13. If the above would remain the only archaeological data … warrior figurine from Biblos with axe, spear and dagger Axe - Kabri Belt – Fara’a Spear - Safed Baghouz warrior on his death bed Egyptian hieroglyphs for dead enemy Dagger – Rishon Le Zion

14. The Middle Bronze Age metal artifacts: what do we already know? Hundreds of copper- base objects were unearthed, mainly in burials, all over the Levant in the last 150 years of archaeology. In the Middle Bronze Age (end of 3rd – middle of 2nd Millennium B.C) the development of more complex weapons (longer daggers, swords, complex battle axes etc.) was made possible by alloying the copper initially with arsenic (As) and later tin (Sn) to produce arsenical copper and tin bronze. Lead (Pb) begin to play a greater role as a major alloy as well.

15. …and how non destructive analyses could give us a better insight? ND of MBII axes in ISIS, UK. 2008

16. Non Destructive Analysis & The “Philistine Monopoly” on Metal Production The Biblical description: RSV 1Sa 13:19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears"; 20 but every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle; 21 and the charge was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. 22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

17. Tel Dor Tel Qasile Tel Dan Tel Gerisa Distribution of Early Iron Age Metallurgical Activities The archaeological data • Circa 700 metal finds – Cu+Sn mainly • Small local production , mainly • Philistines sites. • Simple products + some imports & Heirlooms • +120 analyses • by ICP, WDS, XRF. • (Shalev, Yahalom, Segal) • 48 LIA (Yahalom • & Segal) • 13 sites, mainly in Philistian territory (9) : • Dan, Beth Shean, Megiddo, Yoqneam, Dor, Gerisa, Qasile, Aphek, Beth Shemesh

18. Metal Production Area in Early Iron Age Tel Dan R. Ben-Dov Area B

19. Bronze Production Remains from Early Iron Age Tel Dan

20. L.71 and 15 L.7119 Cu+1.7/1.9%Sn L.7126 Cu+0.6/6.8%Sn L.7060 Cu+1.4/4.7%Sn Crucible-Slag from the IA-I Bronze Production area at Tel Dan 13 analyses (WDS + AAS) of crucible slags & prills, 18 analyses of objects & fragments. S.Shalev 1993

21. Bronze Prills U20 X 400 Microstructure of an IA-I Crucible-Slag from Tel Dan

22. Area G Harbor So – is it a typical Philistine metal production as described in the Bible? Tel Dor: View from its Iron Age Southern Harbor Garstang J. 1923-4; Stern E. 1980-2000

23. Needle 98338 Scrap Pin Arrowhead 180192 98206 Awl Metal prills Metal piece 47829 182131 98810 Ring pieces Slag Slag Slags B94466 91569 Scrap B94482 181360 180505 Bronze Production Remains & Objects from Are G at Tel Dor +200 metal remains: 116 Prills, 54 chunks, slag, 8 crucible frags. 19 objects & fragments.

24. Crucible for Bronze Melting - Early Iron Age Tel-Gerisa

25. Iron Age II Late Bronze Age How could non destructive XRF find the ‘missing link’ in the field? Eastern Balk of Are G at Tel Dor Iron Age I

26. XRF Analysis of Gray Ash Fe Ca Sr Cu F16 F17 F18 Early Iron Age Fire-Pit Section in Are G Balk at Tel Dor

27. XRF Analysis of white Calcite from the IA-I Fire-Pit from Tel Dor XRF Analysis of Burnt Ground from the IA-I Fire-Pit from Tel Dor XRF Analysis of Ash from the IA-I Courtyard near the Fire-Pit Ca Fe Fe Fe Sr Ca Cu Cu Sr Ca Sr

28. The Philistine’s Metal Arms Superiority & Non Destructive XRF Analysis RSV 1Sa 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

29. Jaffa Mediterranean Sea Beth Dagan

30. Aharoni 1977 etc. The “Philistine” Sword from the British Museum “A Shardanian weapon also used by the Philistines, discovered at the Biblical site of Beth-Dagon, near Jaffa” B.M. 127137 L.1065 W.84 Th.14 Rivets 12 Purchased in 1910 by the British Museum Hall 1914 Yadin 1963 Hall 1928 Barnet 1966 Shalev 1988

31. The Marine Battle of Ra’ameses III against the Sea People Medinet Habu Temple - Egypt, circa 1180 BC

32. EB-MB Sword probably from Ashkelon, now in Rockefeller Museum L.578 W.48 Th.14 Rivets 7 Cu+6%As

33. Cu + 2.7-6.0%As & up to 28.5%As on surface EB-MB (EB IV; IB) Weapons circa 2100BC

34. So – what do we know now better about IA-I Metallurgy? Iron or Bronze? Out of more than 700 metal remains from the beginning of the Iron Age in the Land of the Bible - less than 10 are made of Iron and all others are of copper based, mainly of bronze. Metal production: All production remains are of bronze small scale open air ‘Cottage Industry’ making simple objects, by using mainly scrap metal and melting it inside a clay crucible in a campfire using skin bellow with clay tuyre. Is the metallurgical evidence contradict or support the Biblical text? As for the state of evidence today, the location of the production sites in conjunction with the Philistines sites and the local small village industry mainly for the production of simple tools – fits well with the Biblical descriptions. But, the metallurgical evidence, as opposed to the historical reconstruction based upon the Biblical text, show very clearly that only bronze production and no iron industry is currently evident to be practiced during the beginning of the Iron Age in Palestine.

35. Thank you for your attention