Near Eastern Institute

Biblical Gezer

In ages past, Gezer stood roughly 30 kilometers west of Jerusalem. The town itself was positioned on the crossroads where the road linking the international coast road and Jerusalem’s highway meet up. Ancient Gezer was situated towards the northern area of Shephelah and was important from a military standpoint. The fact that everything happening in the underlying coastal area could be observed from within Gezer may have been the reason for it’s military success.

Those who study this area agree that Gezer is actually the ancient Tel Gezer- alternatively called Abu Shushed or Tell el-Jezer, and it lay between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. There is evidence which may link this area with the historical Biblical Gezer . Inscriptions on boulders a short distance from the Gezer excavation site state mark out the town’s boundary line. They may date back to the 1st century BCE.

Gezer, once home to the Levite tribe, was also the ‘prize’ in several land battles. If we read Joshua 10:33 we find evidence of Joshua fighting for control. Joshua 12:12 states that the King of Gezer was one of those conquered by Joshua. When the Philistines ruled Gezer, David dented their armor, and weakened Philistine dominance drastically. His influence was felt ‘ from Geba to Gezer ‘, which is where he chased them after the onslaught at Baal-perazim, read 2 Sam.5:25; 1 Chr.14: 16.

Further Biblical examination reveals that one of Solomon’s wives actually owned Gezer, when the Egyptian Pharaoh presented it to her as a dowry gift. Ancient Egyptian records, such as the Amarna letters, provide some snippets relating to Gezer. These documents, compiled over a 20 year period, show that Gezer was overseen by a group of 4 viziers. Amazingly, the letters also mention a Pharaoh bragging about his conquest of Gezer.

In 1871, the Gezer tell was rediscovered by Charles Simon Clermont-Annear. The first person to actually dig the area was R. A. Stewart Macalister, who acted on instructions from the Palestine Exploration Fund. Macalister was busy on the dig from 1902 until 1907 and unearthed quite a few artifacts in early forays. He also found evidence of underground defense structures and other constructions. Further excavation allowed him to pinpoint the habitation strata of the town, which at the time was quite sensational. However, his data was later proved inaccurate. Still, he opened the gates and his work caused a flood of interest in Gezer.

Included in successive expeditions were Alan Rowe (1934), G.E. Wright (as team leader for the Hebrew Union College expedition, 1964), Yigael Yadin and also the Andrews University.

The most fascinating artifact found has to be the Gezer calendar, which is a tablet containing an intriguing inscription. Scholars can’t agree on its original function. Some believe it to be a child’s study book of exercises. Others opine it to be a tablet that was used by tax collectors when dealing with farmers. Still others venture that it contains the words of a simple folk song. Yet whatever it may be, this tablet reveals much about the ancient Middle East language.

Apart from the Gezer calendar, there are other revelations, several of which relate to the Bible. Megaliths were unearthed which show evidence of a Canaanite ‘high place’. There are inscripted boundary stones -could this be the first identified ‘city’ of the Bible? A gate with several chambers, just like those found at Hazor and Megiddo has been unearthed. Between 1964-1974, the Gezer excavations allowed for grants giving academic and college credit to students, which, although quite common now, was a first at the time.