Shiloh is a
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status...
mentioned in the
Hebrew BibleThe Hebrew Bible is a term referring to the books of the Jewish Bible as originally written mostly in Biblical Hebrew with some Biblical Aramaic...
.
The Biblical Period
The site of ancient Shiloh, a city in the Ephraim hill-country and the religious capital of Israel in the time of the
JudgesThe Book of Judges is a book of the Bible originally written in Hebrew. It appears in the Tanakh and in the Christian Old Testament...
, is situated north of Beth-El, east of the Beth El-
ShechemShechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and later became an Israelite city in...
highway and south of
LebonahLebonah was a town near Shiloh, on the north side of Bethel mentioned in the bible . It has been identified with el-Lubban, to the south of Nablus....
in the hill-country of Ephraim (Judg. 21:19). It has been identified unambiguously with Khirbet Seilun by American
philologistPhilology considers both form and meaning in linguistic expression, combining linguistics and literary studies.Classical philology is the philology of the Greek, Latin and Sanskrit languages...
E. RobinsonEdward Robinson was an American biblical scholar, known as the "Father of Biblical Geography".-Biography:Robinson was born at Southington, Conn. He graduated at Hamilton College, Clifton, N. Y., in 1816, studied at Andover, Mass., and in Europe at Halle and Berlin. On his return to the United...
in 1838. The location had been established long before by the Roman writer Eusebius and Nestorius ha-Parhi.
Shiloh is mentioned in the
Hebrew BibleThe Hebrew Bible is a term referring to the books of the Jewish Bible as originally written mostly in Biblical Hebrew with some Biblical Aramaic...
as an assembly place for the people of
IsraelIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
where there was a sanctuary containing the
Ark of the CovenantThe Ark of the Covenant is a container described in the Bible as containing the Tablets of Stone on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments as well as Aaron's rod and manna. According to the Pentateuch, the Ark was built at the command of God, in accord with Moses' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai...
until it was taken by the
PhilistinesThe Philistines were a people who occupied the southern coast of Canaan, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts. Their origin has been debated among scholars...
from the battlefield at Aphek (probably
AntipatrisAntipatris, one of two places known as Tel Afek, was a city built by Herod the Great, and named in honour of his father, Antipater II of Judea...
).
At Shiloh, the "whole congregation of Israel assembled...and set up the tabernacle of the congregation...", (
Joshua 18:1The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book stands as the first in the Former Prophets covering the history of Israel from the possession of the Promised Land to the Babylonian Captivity.The book of Joshua contains a...
) being the tent built under Moses' direction to house the ark. According to
TalmudThe Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
ic sources, the
TabernacleThe Tabernacle , according to the Hebrew bible/Old Testament, was the portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan...
rested at Shiloh for 369 years. (
Zevachim 118B) The Mishkan left Shiloh when Eli HaCohen Died.
At some point during its long stay at Shiloh, the portable tent seems to have been enclosed within a compound or replaced with a standing structure with "doors" (1 Samuel 3:15) a precursor to the
TempleThe Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to a series of structures located on the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Jewish belief, the Temple acts as...
.
Shiloh was the center of Israelite worship. The people assembled here for the mandatory feasts and sacrifices, and here lots were cast for the various tribal areas and for the Levitical cities. This was a sacred act, as lots were cast revealing how God would choose to parcel out the land within the tribes.
After Joshua had passed from the scene, some inhospitable men in Gibeah raped the concubine of a Levite man when the couple was passing through on their way home to Mount Ephraim. The outraged Levite sent a provocative message to all the tribes demanding justice, and the people responded. The leaders of Benjamin refused to turn over the perpetrators so the other tribes went to war and killed every man, woman, and child of Benjamin save for 600 young men who had holed up at the Rock Rimmon. When their blood cooled, the people repented of having nearly wiped out an entire tribe, and set about finding wives for the surviving men so as to perpetuate the tribe. All who had participated in the killing rampage had sworn to never again allow their daughters to marry Benjamites. They found just one city that had not participated in the bloodbath. They took 400 virgins from that (Levite) city, but still had 200 bachelors on their hands. They were advised to kidnap wives for themselves from a religious celebration in Shiloh when the daughters of the city went out to dance in the vineyards (see Judg. 21). No doubt the fathers and daughters were well aware of what would happen; the rulers promised to intercede on behalf of the bachelors if any of the fathers complained. It was a way to get around their vow not to let the daughters marry Benjamites.
Generations later, Samuel was raised at the shrine in Shiloh by the high priest Eli. Samuel began prophesying at a young age and continued to serve in the Tabernacle, but not as a priest because he was not from the family of Aaron.
When the Philistines defeated the Israelites at Aphek, one contingent of Philistines carried the Ark of the Covenant off to Philistia, while another contingent apparently marched on Shiloh and destroyed the shrine (1 Samuel 4,
Psalms 78:60 and
Jeremiah 7:4. Apparently the Tabernacle was removed before the Philistines arrived, and it was shipped to Gibeon, where it remained until Solomon's time.
The Ark was soon returned to Israel, but was subsequently kept in Kiryat-Yearim until David had it brought to Jerusalem. It never returned to Shiloh.
When Solomon died, ten of the tribes seceded, and their religious leaders built local worship sites. At this time, Shiloh was probably revived as a holy shrine; it was home to
Ahijah HaShiloniAccording to the biblical Book of 1 Kings, Ahijah the Shilonite was a prophet of Shiloh in the days of Rehoboam.The Bible records two of his prophecies; , announcing the rending of the ten tribes from Solomon and , delivered to Jeroboam's wife, foretelling the death of the king's son, the...
, who announced the secession of the ten tribes after Solomon died (
1 Kings 14:6-16).
Isaac b. Joseph Chelo of
AragonAragon is an autonomous community of Spain. Located in northeastern Spain, the region comprises three provinces from north to south: Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza .Aragon's northern province of Huesca borders France and is positioned in the middle of the Pyrenees...
, author of "Shibhe di-Yerushalayim", reputedly visited the site in 1334.
The Christian Period
St. Jerome, in his letter to Paula and Eustochius, dated about 392-393, writes: "With Christ at our side we shall pass through Shiloh and Bethel " (Ep.46,13, PL 22, 492). The official church of Jerusalem did not schedule an annual pilgrimage to Shiloh, unlike Bethel. On the contrary, Samuel's feast was held on August 20 in the village of Masephta (Mitzpah). Even the pilgrims seemingly did not visit Shiloh, for the only one that mentions its name - the sixth-century pilgrim
TheodosiusTheodosius is a name which might refer to one of several people:* One of three emperors of ancient Rome and Byzantium:** Theodosius I , son of Count Theodosius...
(ch. 4, CCSL 175, 116) - wrongly locates it mid-way between Jerusalem and Emmaus. The mistaken identification lasted for centuries, as appears, for example, on the Florentine map of 1300, which places Shiloh at Nebi Samwil where the
Tomb of SamuelThe Tomb of Samuel, , is the traditional burial site of the biblical Hebrew prophet Samuel, atop a steep hill at an elevation of 908 meters above sea level. It is situated to the north of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot. On the site is a building containing a mosque built in the 18th century...
is found. The mosaic map of Madaba wrongly locates Shiloh east of Shechem, omitting to picture the church.
Shiloh assumed messianic attachment amongst Christians due to the verse (Genesis 49:10) - "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Shiloh is believed to refer to Jesus.
The Muslim Period
In 638 the
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
s conquered the area of
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
. Muslim
pilgrimsIn religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of many major religions participate in pilgrimages...
to Shiloh mention a mosque called es-Sekineh where the memory of Jacob's and Joseph's deeds was revered. The earliest source is el-Harawi, who visited the country in 1173 when it was occupied by the
CrusadersThe Crusaders are a New Zealand rugby union team based in Christchurch that compete in the Super 14 . They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history. The franchise represents the Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman, and West Coast provincial rugby unions...
, wrote: "Seilun is the village of the mosque es-Sekineh where the stone of the Table is found. Yaqut (1225) and el-Quarwini (1308, Marmardji, 94-95), write similarly.
Archaeology
Archaeological excavations have shown that the place was already settled in about the 19th-18th centuries B.C.E. (Middle Bronze Age II A); however, it is not mentioned in any pre-biblical source. There is a
tel*TEL is a three-letter acronym** Tetra-ethyl lead, a gasoline additive to make leaded gasoline** Tokyo Electron, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer** Transporter erector launcher, a mobile missile launch platform** Technology-Enhanced Learning...
and many impressive remains from the Caananite and
IsraeliteIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
eras, until the 8th century BCE. During the following 12 centuries Shiloh is solely noted as a station on sojourners' routes, usually having only its religious-historical significance to offer. Archeological excavations have revealed remains from the Roman and Persian as well as early and late Moslem periods. An impressive
glacisA glacis in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth used in late European fortresses so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders until the last possible moment...
has been located and pottery, animal remains, weapons and other objects have been recovered.
Soundings were first made in 1922 by Aage Schmidt. A Danish team led by H. Kajear (overseen by W.F. Albright) excavated for three seasons between the years 1926-32. A probe was done by Sven Holm-Nielson and Marie-Louise Buhl in 1963. An extensive excavation was done by Israel Finkelstein during the years 1981-84.
Finkelstein's work established eight strata, ranging from Middle Bronze II-Byzantine. A massive wall is attributed to the Middle Bronze III stage, preserved at a height of 24' and width up to 18', with an extensive glacis (with a supporting wall). The Iron I (Israelite) remains yielded a pillared two storey public building near the top of the tel, the earliest attributed to Israelites. Collared rim storage jars and some cultic items were found in these buildings, pointing to usage as part of a cultic complex. More than 20 silos were uncovered from this era, included one with carbonized wheat. The destruction layer evident throughout the tel may have occurred in the wake of the Philistine victory at Ebenezer.
One of the more intriguing finds was that of a heap of pottery outside the city wall before the advent of the Israelite settlement. This pile of pottery was the remnant of a number of animal sacrifices, which were tossed over the wall after completion of the ritual and then buried. This find points to a sacral status of Shiloh during the Canaanite period, a status adopted by the Israelites. The top of the tel, where it is supposed that the tabernacle would have been placed, is now exposed bedrock, offering no clues concerning Israelite worship (aside from the adjacent storage complex).
The site was abandoned, and then sparsely repopulated during the Iron II period. Jeremiah's admonition, "Go now to my place that was in Shiloh," in the course of his temple sermon would have occurred during this era (Jeremiah 7:12). More substantive villages emerged in Roman and Byzantine periods.
During August-September 2006 archaeological excavations were carried out adjacent to Shiloh’s
tel*TEL is a three-letter acronym** Tetra-ethyl lead, a gasoline additive to make leaded gasoline** Tokyo Electron, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer** Transporter erector launcher, a mobile missile launch platform** Technology-Enhanced Learning...
. A team led by the Archaeological Staff Officer for Judea and Samaria in Israel's Civilian Administration Antiquities Unit, performing a clean-up operation at Shiloh this summer, a belated continuation to a previous 1998 dig, discovered the
mosaicMosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
floor of a large Byzantine church which was probably constructed between 380 and 420 CE.
This year's excavations (2006-2007), carried out adjacent to and just south of Tel Shiloh, exposed elaborate mosaic floors as well as several Greek inscriptions, one explicitly referring to the site as the "village of Shiloh".
Three Byzantine
basilicaThe Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building , usually located in the forum of a Roman town. In Hellenistic cities, public basilicas appeared in the 2nd century BC.Basilicas were also used for religious purposes...
s have now been uncovered (
http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mad/discussion/034discuss.html). The length of one, excavated by H. Kajer in the late 1920s, is 40 meters. The width, also measured externally, is 14.10 m, but a 6.40 m wide room adjoins the building on the south side. This church had three naves, and 12 bases and 2 beautiful Corinthian capitals (62 cm high and 72-61 cm wide) are preserved. Their appearance recalls the well-known fourth-century style, with separate leaves revealing the ribbing of the back leaves, and a smooth leaf under the corner.
The structure discovered this summer lies under a Muslim free-standing structure known as Walli Yetaim. It seems to have suffered problems of water drainage in its western section despite the installation of run-off pipes and troughs. It appears that the solution was to raise the level of the church and the laying of a new mosaic floor. It was the older, original floor at the lower level that was revealed this summer. The mosaic contains geometric designs, a cross, flora representations and three inscriptions, one, a dedication of a bench, the second, a salute to the residents of Seilun and the third, a general wish for good tidings.
Modern Shiloh
Shiloh resumed its status as a Jewish town in 1978 when a group of Jews affiliated with the
Gush EmunimGush Emunim is an Israeli messianic and political movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank . The movement sprang out of the conquests of the Six-Day War in 1967, though it was not formally established as an organization until 1974, in the wake of the Yom Kippur War...
movement returned to the location to assert
revenantThe term Revenant may refer to:*Revenant , a folkloric corpse that returns from the grave*The Revenant , a 2009 horror comedy.*Revenant , a creature brought back to life to fulfill a special goal...
rights. In 1979 the Israeli government officially authorized Shiloh's status as a recognized village. The population (2006) of the village is approximately 1500 and the community contains educational institutions, grocery, a
HesderHesder is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework...
yeshiva (combining military service and advanced Talmudic studies), sports fields, a pool and several synagogues, one built as a
replica of the Biblical TabernacleReplicas of the Jewish Temple are efforts to replicate, as small models or large buildings, all or part of the biblical Tabernacle, the Temple of Solomon, Second Temple and Herod's Temple in Jerusalem.-Scale models:...
.
Biblical figure
Shiloh is a figure mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 49:10 as part of the benediction given by
JacobJacob , also known as Israel , was the third Biblical patriarch and ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel, named after ten of his twelve sons, as well as the two sons of his son Joseph.The Bible says...
to his son Judah.
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