Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits
Tens of thousands of bones from sheep, goats and cattle — with a bias toward the right side
Found 2018 — Associates for Biblical Research (ABR), directed by Scott Stripling; earlier bone dumps noted by the Danish expedition (1926–32) and Finkelstein (1981–84)
Where Tel Shiloh (Khirbet Seilun) (West Bank (Palestinian Territories, Israeli-administered))
Dates from c. 1400–1050 BCE · Late Bronze II – Iron Age I · Judges; the tabernacle at Shiloh
Now at Study collection of the ABR Shiloh Excavations
How Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits was found
Systematic sieving and faunal analysis from 2017 onward recovered well over 100,000 bones, concentrated in a Late Bronze deposit against the northern wall and in Iron I layers. Preliminary counts were presented from 2018–2023.
What it is
Large deposits of butchered animal bone, overwhelmingly from sheep, goats and cattle — the species permitted for sacrifice — with pig under 1 percent in the Iron I layers. The excavators report that identifiable limb bones from the Iron I deposits come disproportionately from the right side of the animal.
Why it matters for the Bible
Leviticus 7:32 gives the right thigh of the peace offering to the priest, so a sanctuary town where priests ate their portion should leave more right-side bones in its refuse than an ordinary village would. Stripling reads the Shiloh pattern as exactly that. The claim is striking but still preliminary: the full faunal report has not been published, the Late Bronze deposit predates Israel's arrival on any dating, and side-bias can have other causes. Even so, the species mix and low pig count fit an Israelite population following dietary law.
The Hebrew word: SHOHK hai-yah-MEEN
שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין
שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין is pronounced SHOHK hai-yah-MEEN and means the right thigh (the priest's portion) (Strong's H7785 + H3225).
People this discovery connects to
- Hophni and Phinehas — חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס (chof-NEE oo-fee-ne-CHAHS) — Hophni: uncertain; Phinehas: Egyptian, 'the Nubian'
Places
- Shiloh — שִׁלֹה (shee-LOH) — tranquil (uncertain)
Events
Peace offerings and the priests' portion · Eli's sons seizing meat from the pots (1 Samuel 2:13-16)
Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits in Scripture
Leviticus 7:32-33 The right thigh of the peace offering belongs to the priest — the rule the bone pattern is said to reflect.
Joshua 18:1 First mention of Shiloh in Scripture.
1 Samuel 2:13-16 Priests at Shiloh taking meat from the worshipers' pots; the bone dumps are the physical trace of this sacrificial meal culture.
Questions people ask
What is Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits?
Large deposits of butchered animal bone, overwhelmingly from sheep, goats and cattle — the species permitted for sacrifice — with pig under 1 percent in the Iron I layers. The excavators report that identifiable limb bones from the Iron I deposits come disproportionately from the right side of the animal.
When was Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits discovered?
It was found in 2018 by Associates for Biblical Research (ABR), directed by Scott Stripling; earlier bone dumps noted by the Danish expedition (1926–32) and Finkelstein (1981–84), at Tel Shiloh (Khirbet Seilun).
Where is Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits today?
Study collection of the ABR Shiloh Excavations.
Which Bible verses does Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits relate to?
Leviticus 7:32-33, Joshua 18:1, 1 Samuel 2:13-16.
Is Shiloh Animal Bone Deposits authentic?
The bones are real and abundant; the right-side statistic and its link to Leviticus are the excavators' preliminary claim awaiting full faunal publication.
Related discoveries
- קֶרֶןShiloh Altar HornsThree horned corner stones of a four-horned altar, found in secondary use
- מִשְׁכָּןShiloh Monumental Iron I BuildingEast-west structure on the northern platform proposed as the tabernacle's resting place
- 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
- 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?
Sources
- Times of Israel, 'At Shiloh, archaeologist finds artifacts hinting at biblical Tabernacle' (Jan 2020)
- Jerusalem Post, 'Has the Ark of the Covenant been found?' (Aug 2025) — reports 100,000+ bones
- ABR, Research and Reports on Shiloh