Timnah (Tel Batash)
The Philistine town where Samson sought a wife
Found 1977 — George L. Kelm and Amihai Mazar (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Hebrew University), 1977–89
Where Tel Batash, Sorek Valley, 7 km west of Beth-Shemesh (Israel)
Dates from c. 1150–1000 BCE · Iron Age I · Judges (Samson)
Now at Site (open field); finds at the Hebrew University and Israel Antiquities Authority
How Timnah (Tel Batash) was found
Twelve seasons on a square mound in the Sorek Valley traced a Middle Bronze fort, a Late Bronze town burned several times, and an Iron I settlement full of Philistine bichrome pottery, followed by a Judahite town of the 8th–7th centuries.
What it is
A low, unusually square 10-acre mound formed by Middle Bronze earthen ramparts. Iron I houses held Philistine painted pottery, Aegean-style hearths, and loom weights; later levels show the town changing hands between Philistia and Judah.
Why it matters for the Bible
Shoftim 14 opens with Shimshon (Samson) going 'down to Timnah' and seeing a Philistine woman. Tel Batash is that Timnah, and the excavation shows it was a Philistine town in Samson's period, a short walk downhill from Zorah and Beth-Shemesh. Its later swings between Philistine and Judahite control (2 Divrei HaYamim 28:18) match the site's changing pottery.
The Hebrew word: vah-YAY-red
וַיֵּרֶד
וַיֵּרֶד is pronounced vah-YAY-red and means and he went down (Samson descends from the hills to Timnah) (Strong's H3381).
People this discovery connects to
- Samson — שִׁמְשׁוֹן (sheem-SHONE) — little sun
Places
- Timnah — תִּמְנָה (teem-NAH) — allotted portion
Events
Samson's Philistine wife from Timnah (Judges 14) · Samson and the lion on the road to Timnah (Judges 14:5-6)
Timnah (Tel Batash) in Scripture
Joshua 15:10 First mention of Timnath in Scripture.
Judges 14:1-2 Samson went down to Timnah and saw a Philistine woman; Tel Batash was a Philistine town in the Sorek Valley below Zorah.
Judges 14:5 The vineyards of Timnah where Samson met the lion; the valley is still farmland today.
Questions people ask
What is Timnah (Tel Batash)?
A low, unusually square 10-acre mound formed by Middle Bronze earthen ramparts. Iron I houses held Philistine painted pottery, Aegean-style hearths, and loom weights; later levels show the town changing hands between Philistia and Judah.
When was Timnah (Tel Batash) discovered?
It was found in 1977 by George L. Kelm and Amihai Mazar (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Hebrew University), 1977–89, at Tel Batash, Sorek Valley, 7 km west of Beth-Shemesh.
Where is Timnah (Tel Batash) today?
Site (open field); finds at the Hebrew University and Israel Antiquities Authority.
Which Bible verses does Timnah (Tel Batash) relate to?
Joshua 15:10, Judges 14:1-2, Judges 14:5.
Related discoveries
- אֶבֶן גְּדוֹלָהTel Beth-ShemeshA border town in Samson's valley that avoided pork
- עַמּוּדִיםTell Qasile Philistine TemplesThree superimposed shrines with roof-bearing pillars
- פְּלִשְׁתִּיםEkron (Tel Miqne): Philistine SettlementFrom Sea Peoples' arrival to the world's largest olive-oil industry
- אֶבֶן גְּדוֹלָהTel Beth Shemesh Iron IIA TownA border town of Judah facing the Philistines, with a giant water reservoir
- בֵּית כְּנֶסֶתHuqoq Synagogue MosaicsSamson, Jonah, the Red Sea and an 'elephant' panel in a Galilean village synagogue
- דָּגוֹןAshdod (Tel Ashdod)Dagon's city, where the Ark toppled the idol
Sources
- A. Mazar & G. L. Kelm, Timnah (Tel Batash) I–III, Qedem 37, 42, 45 (1997–2006)
- Wikipedia: Tel Batash