Hebron (Tel Rumeida)
Cyclopean walls of the Canaanite city where Avraham settled
Found 1964 — Philip Hammond (1964–66); Avi Ofer (1984–86); Emanuel Eisenberg (1999) and Eisenberg with David Ben-Shlomo (Israel Antiquities Authority, 2014)
Where Tel Rumeida (Tel Hebron), Hebron, West Bank (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from c. 2800–2500 BCE and c. 1750–1550 BCE · Early Bronze III and Middle Bronze II · Avraham at Hebron/Mamre; the spies see Hebron (Numbers 13)
Now at In situ; some finds in the Israel Antiquities Authority collections
How Hebron (Tel Rumeida) was found
Excavations on the hill of Tel Rumeida, above the modern city, exposed a Middle Bronze city wall built of huge stones up to 5 meters long, Early Bronze houses, and a cuneiform tablet with animal lists.
What it is
A steep hill west of the old city with the remains of a fortified Bronze Age town: a 'cyclopean' Middle Bronze wall, an Early Bronze settlement, a 17th–16th-century BCE cuneiform tablet, and later Iron Age and Hellenistic layers.
Why it matters for the Bible
Genesis places Avraham at Hebron (Mamre), and Numbers 13:22 says Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt. The massive Middle Bronze walls show Hebron was a real fortified city in the patriarchal age, close to the later shrine at Machpelah. The cuneiform tablet, one of the few from Canaan of this period, shows literate administration here. None of this names a biblical figure.
The Hebrew word: chev-RON
חֶבְרוֹן
חֶבְרוֹן is pronounced chev-RON and means Hebron (Strong's H2275).
People this discovery connects to
- Abraham — אַבְרָהָם (av-rah-HAHM) — father of a multitude
- Caleb — כָּלֵב (kah-LEV) — dog / wholehearted
Places
- Hebron — חֶבְרוֹן (chev-RON) — association, alliance
- Mamre — מַמְרֵא (mam-RAY) — Mamre (Amorite ally of Avram)
Events
Avram settles by the oaks of Mamre at Hebron · The spies see the Anakim at Hebron · David reigns at Hebron
Hebron (Tel Rumeida) in Scripture
Genesis 13:18 Avram moves his tent to Hebron and builds an altar; Tel Rumeida is the ancient city. (First mention of Hebron.)
Genesis 23:2 Sarah dies at Kiriath-arba, that is Hebron.
Numbers 13:22 Hebron 'built seven years before Zoan in Egypt' fits its Bronze Age antiquity.
Questions people ask
What is Hebron (Tel Rumeida)?
A steep hill west of the old city with the remains of a fortified Bronze Age town: a 'cyclopean' Middle Bronze wall, an Early Bronze settlement, a 17th–16th-century BCE cuneiform tablet, and later Iron Age and Hellenistic layers.
When was Hebron (Tel Rumeida) discovered?
It was found in 1964 by Philip Hammond (1964–66); Avi Ofer (1984–86); Emanuel Eisenberg (1999) and Eisenberg with David Ben-Shlomo (Israel Antiquities Authority, 2014), at Tel Rumeida (Tel Hebron), Hebron, West Bank.
Where is Hebron (Tel Rumeida) today?
In situ; some finds in the Israel Antiquities Authority collections.
Which Bible verses does Hebron (Tel Rumeida) relate to?
Genesis 13:18, Genesis 23:2, Numbers 13:22.
Related discoveries
- עֲנָקִיםHebron (Tell Rumeida)Caleb's city, with Bronze Age walls and Late Bronze occupation
- אֲחֻזַּת קֶבֶרCave of Machpelah (Herodian Enclosure)Herod's monument over the traditional tomb of the patriarchs
- שַׁעַרTel Dan Canaanite Gate ('Abraham's Gate')A mudbrick arched gateway from the age of the patriarchs
- גְּרָרTel Haror (Tell Abu Hureira): GerarThe Middle Bronze city with a Canaanite temple, most often identified as Abraham and Isaac's Gerar
- כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּיםBeni Hasan Tomb Painting of SemitesA caravan of 'Asiatics' entering Egypt in the days of the patriarchs
- מִגְדָּלZiggurat of UrThe moon-god's temple tower in Avraham's home city
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tel Rumeida
- Eisenberg & Ben-Shlomo, 'Tel Hevron 2014 Excavations', Hadashot Arkheologiyot