Tel Rehov Apiary
The oldest industrial beehives ever found, in a 'land of honey'
Found 2005 — Amihai Mazar (Hebrew University), Tel Rehov excavations 1997–2012; apiary found in the 2005 and 2007 seasons
Where Tel Rehov, Beth-Shean Valley (Israel)
Dates from c. 970–840 BCE · Iron Age IIA · Reigns of Shlomo (Solomon) to the early Omrides
Now at In situ (backfilled) at Tel Rehov; finds in the Hebrew University Institute of Archaeology and Israel Museum
How Tel Rehov Apiary was found
Rows of unfired clay cylinders were found in a courtyard in the middle of the city, sealed by a destruction layer. Beeswax residue and charred bee remains confirmed they were hives.
What it is
About 30 intact clay hives, each roughly 80 cm long and 40 cm across, stacked in rows three high, with remains of perhaps 100–200 more. Each hive had a small flight hole at one end and a removable lid at the other. Radiocarbon dates the apiary to the tenth–ninth centuries BCE. Bee remains were identified as an Anatolian type, apparently imported.
Why it matters for the Bible
The Bible calls Israel a 'land flowing with milk and honey', and most scholars assumed that honey meant date or fig syrup. Tel Rehov shows real beekeeping on an industrial scale, inside a city, in the era of Solomon. The site also produced inscriptions naming the family of Nimshi, the clan of the later king Yehu (Jehu), suggesting Rehov may have been his family's home, and a 2013 sherd with the name 'Elisha' (though a link to the prophet is very uncertain). Rehov's many radiocarbon dates are a key dataset in the chronology debate.
The Hebrew word: deh-VASH
דְּבַשׁ
דְּבַשׁ is pronounced deh-VASH and means honey — bee honey or fruit syrup (Strong's H1706).
People this discovery connects to
- Solomon — שְׁלֹמֹה (Shlo-MOH) — his peace
- Nimshi — נִמְשִׁי (Nim-SHEE) — drawn out (uncertain)
Places
- Rehob — רְחֹב (Reh-CHOHV) — broad place
- Beth-Shean — בֵּית שְׁאָן (Beit Sheh-AHN) — house of rest
Events
Solomon's administrative districts in the Jezreel and Jordan valleys
Tel Rehov Apiary in Scripture
Genesis 43:11 First mention of honey / bees in Scripture.
Exodus 3:8 The promise of a land flowing with milk and honey; Rehov shows honey could mean real bee honey.
1 Kings 4:12 Solomon's district officer over Beth-Shean and the Jordan Valley, the region of Rehov.
Questions people ask
What is Tel Rehov Apiary?
About 30 intact clay hives, each roughly 80 cm long and 40 cm across, stacked in rows three high, with remains of perhaps 100–200 more. Each hive had a small flight hole at one end and a removable lid at the other. Radiocarbon dates the apiary to the tenth–ninth centuries BCE. Bee remains were identified as an Anatolian type, apparently imported.
When was Tel Rehov Apiary discovered?
It was found in 2005 by Amihai Mazar (Hebrew University), Tel Rehov excavations 1997–2012; apiary found in the 2005 and 2007 seasons, at Tel Rehov, Beth-Shean Valley.
Where is Tel Rehov Apiary today?
In situ (backfilled) at Tel Rehov; finds in the Hebrew University Institute of Archaeology and Israel Museum.
Which Bible verses does Tel Rehov Apiary relate to?
Genesis 43:11, Exodus 3:8, 1 Kings 4:12.
Related discoveries
- נָבִיאTel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi InscriptionsThe prophet's name inked on a sherd in a ninth-century house near Abel-meholah
- גִּיחוֹןGihon Spring Tower and Pool TowerGiant fortifications guarding Jerusalem's only spring
- שִׁלֻּחִיםGezer Tenth-Century Destruction LayerA burned city that may be the pharaoh's 'dowry' destruction
- בָּמָהTel Rehov Open-Air Sanctuary and Horned Clay AltarsNeighborhood worship in the Northern Kingdom: a small bamah and dozens of pottery altars
- שְׁבָאAxum Chapel of the TabletEthiopia's claim to hold the Ark of the Covenant
- עַמּוּדThe Nuweiba Granite Column ('Solomon's Pillar')An unmarked column on the beach said to have been raised by Shlomo to mark the crossing
Sources
- Mazar & Panitz-Cohen, 'It Is the Land of Honey: Beekeeping at Tel Rehov', NEA 70 (2007)
- Wikipedia: Tel Rehov