Jabesh-Gilead
Encyclopedia
Jabesh-Gilead is an ancient town referred to in four books of the Old Testament
. Some biblical scholars believe it to have been located east
of the Jordan River, in the vicinity of Wadi Yabes.
Jabesh Gilead is mentioned in the Bible
in the first
and second
books of Samuel, in the book of Chronicles, and in the Book of Judges. Jabesh Gilead is primarily mentioned in connection with King Saul's and King David's battles against the Philistines and Ammonites.
The identification of Jabesh-Gilead has been studied for a long time. In the 1940s and 50s the American scholar Nelson Glueck
devoted special attention to the discussion of whether Tell Abu al-Kharaz in the Jordan Valley
close to the area where the Wadi el-Yabis (the River Yabis) emerges into the plane of the Jordan Valley
, or Tell al-Maqlub, located further east along the Wadi Yabis, was the Biblical site of Jabesh Gilead. In the light of Glueck's conclusions a positive identification of Tell Abu al-Kharaz with Jabesh Gilead was made. He expresses some valid points, but it became obvious during the Swedish Excavations at Tell Abu al-Kharaz 1989 to 2008 (and still going on) which are directed by Peter M. Fischer that only distinct archaeological evidence could support his theory. There are remains from Iron I and IIA which fall into the period of the above mentioned biblical events but more evidence is necessary. It should, however, be highlighted that the main objectives of the Swedish excavations are to study the general occupational sequence of Tell Abu al-Kharaz which goes back to approx. 3200 BCE (Early Bronze Age IB) and which covers mainly EB II, MB III, LB I-II, Iron Age I-II and Abbasid.
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
. Some biblical scholars believe it to have been located east
Transjordan (Bible)
The Transjordan is used to describe an area of land in the Southern Levant lying east of the Jordan River that is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. The area is said to form part of an ill-defined area known as the land of Israel...
of the Jordan River, in the vicinity of Wadi Yabes.
Jabesh Gilead is mentioned in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in the first
and second
books of Samuel, in the book of Chronicles, and in the Book of Judges. Jabesh Gilead is primarily mentioned in connection with King Saul's and King David's battles against the Philistines and Ammonites.
The identification of Jabesh-Gilead has been studied for a long time. In the 1940s and 50s the American scholar Nelson Glueck
Nelson Glueck
Nelson Glueck was an American rabbi, academic and archaeologist. Dr Glueck served as president of Hebrew Union College from 1947 until his death, and his pioneering work in biblical archaeology resulted in the discovery of 1,500 ancient sites....
devoted special attention to the discussion of whether Tell Abu al-Kharaz in the Jordan Valley
Jordan Valley (Middle East)
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. It is 120 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, where it runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to northern Dead Sea in the south. It runs for an additional 155 kilometer south of the Dead Sea to Aqaba, an area also known as Wadi...
close to the area where the Wadi el-Yabis (the River Yabis) emerges into the plane of the Jordan Valley
Jordan Valley (Middle East)
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. It is 120 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, where it runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to northern Dead Sea in the south. It runs for an additional 155 kilometer south of the Dead Sea to Aqaba, an area also known as Wadi...
, or Tell al-Maqlub, located further east along the Wadi Yabis, was the Biblical site of Jabesh Gilead. In the light of Glueck's conclusions a positive identification of Tell Abu al-Kharaz with Jabesh Gilead was made. He expresses some valid points, but it became obvious during the Swedish Excavations at Tell Abu al-Kharaz 1989 to 2008 (and still going on) which are directed by Peter M. Fischer that only distinct archaeological evidence could support his theory. There are remains from Iron I and IIA which fall into the period of the above mentioned biblical events but more evidence is necessary. It should, however, be highlighted that the main objectives of the Swedish excavations are to study the general occupational sequence of Tell Abu al-Kharaz which goes back to approx. 3200 BCE (Early Bronze Age IB) and which covers mainly EB II, MB III, LB I-II, Iron Age I-II and Abbasid.