Gezer Calendar
A farmer's year scratched on limestone in the oldest Hebrew-style script
Found 1908 — R. A. Stewart Macalister (Palestine Exploration Fund), excavations 1902–1909
Where Tel Gezer (Tell el-Jezer), between Jerusalem and the coast (Israel)
Dates from c. 950–900 BCE · Iron Age IIA · Reign of Shlomo (Solomon) or shortly after
Now at Istanbul Archaeology Museums (Museum of the Ancient Orient), Istanbul, Turkey; replica in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
How Gezer Calendar was found
Found during Macalister's excavations at Gezer without a secure stratified context, so it is dated mainly by the shape of its letters.
What it is
A soft limestone tablet about 11 by 7 cm with seven short lines in an early Phoenician/paleo-Hebrew script. It lists the months of the year by farm tasks: two months of ingathering, two of sowing, two of late sowing, a month of hoeing flax, a month of barley harvest, a month of harvest and feasting, two months of vine-tending, a month of summer fruit. The name 'Abiyah' (Abijah) is scratched at the edge.
Why it matters for the Bible
For a century this was the oldest known Hebrew-type inscription, and it still anchors the study of early Israelite writing. It shows the farming rhythm behind the biblical feasts (barley harvest at Passover, wheat harvest at Shavuot, ingathering at Sukkot) and uses words found in the Bible for these tasks. Scholars debate whether the language is Hebrew or Phoenician and whether it was a schoolboy's exercise, a song, or a tax schedule. The name Abijah, 'my father is Yah', may be an early witness to the divine name in personal names.
The Hebrew word: ah-SEEF
אָסִיף
אָסִיף is pronounced ah-SEEF and means ingathering (the autumn harvest) — the first word on the calendar (Strong's H614).
People this discovery connects to
- Solomon — שְׁלֹמֹה (Shlo-MOH) — his peace
Places
- Gezer — גֶּזֶר (GEH-zer) — portion / cut off
Events
Agricultural feasts of Israel · Solomon's rebuilding of Gezer
Gezer Calendar in Scripture
Exodus 23:16 The feast of harvest and the feast of ingathering (asif) follow the same farm year the calendar describes.
Joshua 10:33 First mention of Gezer in Scripture.
Ruth 1:22 Naomi and Ruth arrive at the barley harvest, the month the calendar names 'harvest of barley'.
Questions people ask
What is Gezer Calendar?
A soft limestone tablet about 11 by 7 cm with seven short lines in an early Phoenician/paleo-Hebrew script. It lists the months of the year by farm tasks: two months of ingathering, two of sowing, two of late sowing, a month of hoeing flax, a month of barley harvest, a month of harvest and feasting, two months of vine-tending, a month of summer fruit. The name 'Abiyah' (Abijah) is scratched at the edge.
When was Gezer Calendar discovered?
It was found in 1908 by R. A. Stewart Macalister (Palestine Exploration Fund), excavations 1902–1909, at Tel Gezer (Tell el-Jezer), between Jerusalem and the coast.
Where is Gezer Calendar today?
Istanbul Archaeology Museums (Museum of the Ancient Orient), Istanbul, Turkey; replica in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Gezer Calendar relate to?
Exodus 23:16, Joshua 10:33, Ruth 1:22.
Related discoveries
- שִׁלֻּחִיםGezer Tenth-Century Destruction LayerA burned city that may be the pharaoh's 'dowry' destruction
- שְׁבָאAxum Chapel of the TabletEthiopia's claim to hold the Ark of the Covenant
- דְּבַשׁTel Rehov ApiaryThe oldest industrial beehives ever found, in a 'land of honey'
- עַמּוּדThe Nuweiba Granite Column ('Solomon's Pillar')An unmarked column on the beach said to have been raised by Shlomo to mark the crossing
- אַבְנֵי גָזִיתMegiddo Ashlar Palaces (Stratum VA–IVB)Two fine-stone palaces claimed for Solomon's district capital
- צְלָעוֹתKhirbet Qeiyafa Model ShrinesTwo miniature shrines with architecture echoing Solomon's Temple
Sources
- Macalister, The Excavation of Gezer, vol. 2 (1912)
- Wikipedia: Gezer calendar