Shiloh Altar Horns
Three horned corner stones of a four-horned altar, found in secondary use
Found 2019 — Associates for Biblical Research (ABR), directed by Scott Stripling; identification checked by Shimon Gibson
Where Tel Shiloh (Khirbet Seilun) (West Bank (Palestinian Territories, Israeli-administered))
Dates from c. 1177–980 BCE (excavators' dating of context) · Iron Age I (original use); reused in later walls · Judges; the tabernacle at Shiloh
Now at ABR / Civil Administration Staff Officer for Archaeology; not on public display as of the last report
How Shiloh Altar Horns was found
Three stone blocks with projecting horns were found in summer 2019 near the monumental Iron I building — out of their original position, built into later (including Byzantine-period) construction or lying in destruction debris.
What it is
Three limestone corner blocks, each carved with a raised 'horn' at one corner. Two measure about 38 by 22 cm; the third is smaller, about 18 by 13 cm, so they come from at least two altars. They are the same type of corner stone seen on the reassembled horned altar from Beersheba.
Why it matters for the Bible
Horned altars are the signature of Israelite sacrifice in the Torah (Exodus 27:2; 29:12), and a person seeking refuge could grip the altar's horns (1 Kings 1:50). Finding horned corner stones at Shiloh supports the picture of a working sacrificial cult there in the period of Eli and Samuel. Because the stones were reused in later walls, however, we cannot say where the altar stood or exactly when it was built, and the excavators' proposed dates rest on associated finds rather than on the stones themselves.
The Hebrew word: KEH-ren
קֶרֶן
קֶרֶן is pronounced KEH-ren and means horn (of an altar) (Strong's H7161).
People this discovery connects to
- Eli — עֵלִי (ay-LEE) — ascended, exalted
Places
- Shiloh — שִׁלֹה (shee-LOH) — tranquil (uncertain)
Events
Sacrifices at Shiloh in the days of the judges · The sin of Eli's sons at the altar (1 Samuel 2:12-17)
Shiloh Altar Horns in Scripture
Exodus 27:2 The altar's four corners are to have horns 'of one piece with it' — the feature these stones preserve.
Joshua 18:1 First mention of Shiloh in Scripture.
1 Samuel 2:12-14 Eli's sons abuse the sacrifices at Shiloh; these stones come from the kind of altar the story assumes.
Questions people ask
What is Shiloh Altar Horns?
Three limestone corner blocks, each carved with a raised 'horn' at one corner. Two measure about 38 by 22 cm; the third is smaller, about 18 by 13 cm, so they come from at least two altars. They are the same type of corner stone seen on the reassembled horned altar from Beersheba.
When was Shiloh Altar Horns discovered?
It was found in 2019 by Associates for Biblical Research (ABR), directed by Scott Stripling; identification checked by Shimon Gibson, at Tel Shiloh (Khirbet Seilun).
Where is Shiloh Altar Horns today?
ABR / Civil Administration Staff Officer for Archaeology; not on public display as of the last report.
Which Bible verses does Shiloh Altar Horns relate to?
Exodus 27:2, Joshua 18:1, 1 Samuel 2:12-14.
Related discoveries
- מִשְׁכָּןShiloh Monumental Iron I BuildingEast-west structure on the northern platform proposed as the tabernacle's resting place
- מִשְׁכָּןShiloh (Tel Shiloh / Khirbet Seilun)Iron I storerooms, collared-rim jars, and an altar horn at the home of the Tabernacle
- שִׁלֹהShiloh's Burnt Layer and Sacred-Precinct WallThe fiery end of Iron I Shiloh around 1050 BCE — the aftermath of Eben-ezer?
- שׁוֹק הַיָּמִיןShiloh Animal Bone DepositsTens of thousands of bones from sheep, goats and cattle — with a bias toward the right side
- רִמּוֹןShiloh Ceramic PomegranateA clay pomegranate from the sacred area of Iron Age Shiloh
- אוֹצָרShiloh Storage Rooms and Collar-Rim JarsPillared storehouses and pithoi along the northern wall — the sanctuary's pantry
Sources
- Armstrong Institute, 'Altar Horns Uncovered at Shiloh'
- ABR, 'Altar Horn Discovered by ABR Featured in Jerusalem Post'
- Times of Israel, 'At Shiloh, archaeologist finds artifacts hinting at biblical Tabernacle' (Jan 2020)