Dothan (Tell Dothan)
The town where Yosef's brothers sold him
Found 1953 — Joseph P. Free (Wheaton College), excavations 1953–1964
Where Tell Dothan, north of Nablus, West Bank (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from c. 3000–700 BCE (Middle Bronze city c. 1900–1550 BCE) · Early Bronze through Iron Age · Yosef sold by his brothers (Genesis 37); Elisha at Dothan (2 Kings 6)
Now at In situ; finds at Wheaton College (Illinois) and in Israeli/Palestinian antiquities collections
How Dothan (Tell Dothan) was found
Free dug nine seasons, exposing a Middle Bronze wall and gate, Iron Age houses, and a Late Bronze/Iron I tomb with over 3,000 pottery vessels; the results were only fully published by Daniel Master and others in 2005.
What it is
A 10-hectare mound beside a fertile plain on the road from Gilead to Egypt. Excavation revealed a fortified Middle Bronze city, Iron Age streets and storerooms, and a large multi-chamber tomb.
Why it matters for the Bible
Genesis 37 says Yaakov's sons pastured flocks at Dothan and sold Yosef to a caravan passing toward Egypt. The site's identification is secure (the name survived), it was an occupied city in the Middle Bronze Age, and it lies on a natural caravan route—so the story's geography works. Excavation cannot show Yosef himself, and the pits near the site called 'Joseph's well' are a later tradition.
The Hebrew word: BOR
בּוֹר
בּוֹר is pronounced BOR and means pit, cistern (the empty pit Yosef was thrown into) (Strong's H953).
People this discovery connects to
- Joseph — יוֹסֵף (yo-SEF) — he adds
- Elisha — אֱלִישָׁע (el-ee-SHAH) — my God is salvation
Places
- Dothan — דֹּתָן (do-TAHN) — two wells (traditional)
Events
Yosef sold to the Ishmaelites · Elisha and the Aramean army at Dothan
Dothan (Tell Dothan) in Scripture
Genesis 37:17 Yosef finds his brothers at Dothan; this is the site.
2 Kings 6:13-17 Elisha at Dothan sees the hills full of horses and chariots of fire.
Questions people ask
What is Dothan (Tell Dothan)?
A 10-hectare mound beside a fertile plain on the road from Gilead to Egypt. Excavation revealed a fortified Middle Bronze city, Iron Age streets and storerooms, and a large multi-chamber tomb.
When was Dothan (Tell Dothan) discovered?
It was found in 1953 by Joseph P. Free (Wheaton College), excavations 1953–1964, at Tell Dothan, north of Nablus, West Bank.
Where is Dothan (Tell Dothan) today?
In situ; finds at Wheaton College (Illinois) and in Israeli/Palestinian antiquities collections.
Which Bible verses does Dothan (Tell Dothan) relate to?
Genesis 37:17, 2 Kings 6:13-17.
Related discoveries
- עַבְדִּיאֵלTomb of the Vizier Aper-ElA Semitic-named vizier of Egypt under Amenhotep III and Akhenaten
- עַצְמוֹתJoseph's Tomb at Shechem (Nablus)The domed shrine where tradition says Yosef's bones were buried; never excavated
- בָּרSaqqara 'Joseph's Granaries' Claim (Djoser's Step Pyramid Complex)Deep shafts and vaults said to be Yosef's grain stores; Imhotep said to be Yosef
- יְאֹרBahr Yussef ('Joseph's Canal')A canal into the Fayum that tradition credits to Yosef
- כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּיםAvaris 'Asiatic Official' Statue and TombA smashed statue of a Semitic dignitary in a striped coat, beside a twelve-pillared house
- מִשְׁנֶהStatue of an Asiatic Official at AvarisA Semitic dignitary honored with a tomb-statue in Egypt
Sources
- Master, Monson, Lass & Pierce (eds.), 'Dothan I: Remains from the Tell (1953–1964)' (Eisenbrauns, 2005)
- Wikipedia: Tel Dothan