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Gezer (Template:Lang-he-n) was a Canaanite city-state and biblical town in ancient Israel.^[1] Tel Gezer (also Tell el-Jezer), an archaeological site midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is now an Israeli national park.

Interesting discoveries related to Biblical archaeology are eight monumental megaliths; a double cave beneath the high place, probably used for divinatory purposes; 9 inscribed boundary stones, making it the first positively identified Biblical city; a 6-chambered gate similar to those found at Hazor and Megiddo; and a large water-system comprising a tunnel going down to a spring, similar to that found in Jerusalem.

Location

Gezer was located on the northern fringe of the Shephelah, approximately thirty kilometres west of Jerusalem. It was strategically situated at the junction of the international coastal highway and the highway connecting it with Jerusalem through the valley of Ajalon. The view from Gezer encompassed the whole Coastal Plain below it, making it a strategic military center. Verification of the identification of this site with Biblical Gezer comes from Hebrew inscriptions found engraved on rocks, several hundred meters from the tel. These inscriptions from the 1st century BCE read "boundary of Gezer."

History

Gezer is mentioned in Egyptian records, such as the writings of Thutmose III as well as the Amarna Letters; and Pharaoh Merneptah boasted in the Merneptah Stele that he "seized Gezer". This city-state of Gezer (named Gazru in Babylonian and unrelated to modern day Gaza which was named Hazzatu) was ruled by four leaders during the 20-year period covered by the Amarna letters circa 1350 BC.

Later, Gezer is mentioned in connection with the conquest of the Land of Israel under the leadership of Joshua (Joshua 10:33, 12:12), and was home to the Levites. It was noted to be under Philistine rule as David is said to have broken their rulership "from Geba to as far as to Gezer". It was the last point to which he pursued the Philistines (2 Sam. 5:25; 1 Chr. 14:16) after the battle of Baal-perazim. Later the Bible claims that Pharaoh of Egypt destroyed it (see Sack of Gezer) and gave it as a dowry to Solomon's wife.

Gezer was sparsely populated during Roman times and remained uninhabited until the 1st century CE. ^[2]

In 1177, the plains around Gezer were the site of the Battle of Montgisard, in which the Crusaders under Baldwin IV defeated the forces of Saladin.

Archaeology

Archaeological excavation at Gezer has been going on since the early 1900s, and it has become one of the most excavated sites in Israel. In the modern era, the site was discovered by Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau in 1871. R. A. Stewart Macalister dug in the site between 1902 and 1907 on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Macalister recovered several artifacts discovered several constructions and defenses. He also established Gezer's habitation strata, though they were later found to be mostly incorrect (as well as many of his theories). Other notable archælogical expeditions to the site were made by Alan Rowe (1934), G.E. Wright (1964-5, at the head of the Hebrew Union College expedition), William Dever, Yigael Yadin, as well as the Andrews University.

One of the best-known findings is the Gezer calendar. This is a plaque containing a text appearing to be either a schoolboy's memory exercises, or something designated for the collection of taxes from farmers. Another possibility is that the text was a popular folk song, or child's song, listing the months of the year according to the agricultural seasons. It has proved to be of value by informing modern researchers of ancient Middle Eastern script and language, as well as the agricultural seasons.

In 1957 Yigael Yadin identified a Solomonic wall and gateway identical in construction to the remains excavated at Megiddo and Hazor.^[3]

Excavations were renewed in June 2006 by a consortium of institutions under the direction of Steve Ortiz (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) and Sam Wolff (Israel Antiquities Authority). The Tel Gezer Excavation and Publication Project is a multi-disciplinary field project investigating the Iron Age history of the ancient biblical city of Tel Gezer.

External links

Tel Gezer Excavation and Publication Project

31°51′32″N 34°55′08″E / 31.859°N 34.919°E / 31.859; 34.919

[1] Gezer in the Tell Amarna Letters

[2] Gezer in the Tell Amarna Letters

[3] Gezer

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[2]

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 ==Location==
-Gezer was located on the northern fringe of the [[Shephelah]], approximately thirty kilometres west of [[Jerusalem]]. It was strategically situated at the junction of the international coastal highway and the highway connecting it with [[Jerusalem]] through the valley of [[Ajalon]]. The view from Gezer encompassed the whole Coastal Plain below it, making it a strategic military center. Verification of the identification of this site with [[Bible|Biblical]] Gezer comes from Hebrew inscriptions found engraved on rocks, several hundred meters from the tel. These inscriptions from the 1st century BCE read "boundary of Gezer."
+Gezer was located on the northern fringe of the [[Shephelah]], approximately thirty kilometres west of [[Jerusalem]]. It was strategically situated at the junction of the international coastal highway and the highway connecting it with Jerusalem through the valley of [[Ajalon]]. The view from Gezer encompassed the whole Coastal Plain below it, making it a strategic military center. Verification of the identification of this site with [[Bible|Biblical]] Gezer comes from Hebrew inscriptions found engraved on rocks, several hundred meters from the tel. These inscriptions from the 1st century BCE read "boundary of Gezer."
 ==History==
 Gezer is mentioned in Egyptian records, such as the writings of [[Thutmose III]] as well as the [[Amarna Letters]]; and Pharaoh [[Merneptah]] boasted in the [[Merneptah Stele]] that he "seized Gezer". This city-state of Gezer (named ''Gazru'' in [[Babylonian]] and unrelated to modern day [[Gaza]] which was named ''Hazzatu'') was ruled by four leaders during the 20-year period covered by the Amarna letters circa [[1350 BC]].
-Later, Gezer is mentioned in connection with the conquest of the land under the leadership of [[Joshua]] ([[Book of Joshua|Joshua]] 10:33, 12:12), and was home to the [[Levites]]. It was noted to be under [[Philistines|Philistine]] rule as [[David]] is said to have broken their rulership "from Geba to as far as to Gezer". It was the last point to which he pursued the Philistines (2 Sam. 5:25; 1 Chr. 14:16) after the battle of [[Baal-perazim]]. Later the Bible claims that [[Pharaoh]] of [[Egypt]] destroyed it (see [[Sack of Gezer]]) and gave it as a dowry to [[Solomon]]'s wife.
+Later, Gezer is mentioned in connection with the conquest of the [[Land of Israel]] under the leadership of [[Joshua]] ([[Book of Joshua|Joshua]] 10:33, 12:12), and was home to the [[Levites]]. It was noted to be under [[Philistines|Philistine]] rule as [[David]] is said to have broken their rulership "from Geba to as far as to Gezer". It was the last point to which he pursued the Philistines (2 Sam. 5:25; 1 Chr. 14:16) after the battle of [[Baal-perazim]]. Later the Bible claims that [[Pharaoh]] of [[Egypt]] destroyed it (see [[Sack of Gezer]]) and gave it as a dowry to [[Solomon]]'s wife.
+Gezer was sparsely populated during Roman times and remained uninhabited until the 1st century CE. <ref>[http://www.jstor.org/pss/3210955 Gezer in the Tell Amarna Letters]</ref>
-In 1177 AD, the plains around Gezer were the site of the [[Battle of Montgisard]], in which the [[Crusaders]] under [[Baldwin IV]] defeated the forces of [[Saladin]].
+In 1177, the plains around Gezer were the site of the [[Battle of Montgisard]], in which the [[Crusaders]] under [[Baldwin IV]] defeated the forces of [[Saladin]].
 ==Archaeology==