The Excavations of Beth Shemesh, November-December 1912

Duncan Mackenzie

Preface vii Acknowledgements ix List of Illustrations x Abbreviations xiii 1. Introduction N. Momigliano, S. Bunimovitz and Z. Lederman 1 1.1. Duncan Mackenzies life and work: a brief overview N. Momigliano 1 Works by Duncan Mackenzie N. Momigliano 7 1.2. Mackenzies work at Beth Shemesh S. Bunimovitz, Z. Lederman and N. Momigliano 8 1.3. Work conducted at the site after Mackenzie S. Bunimovitz and Z. Lederman 11 Elihu Grants excavations (192833) 11 The renewed excavations (1990 to the present) 11 Middle and Late Bronze Ages 12 Iron Age I 14 Iron Age IIA 15 Iron Age IIBC 18 1.4. Mackenzies manuscript on the third campaign of excavations at Beth Shemesh of NovemberDecember 1912: its rediscovery and transcription N. Momigliano 20 2. Transcription: The excavations of Beth Shemesh NovemberDecember, 1912 Duncan Mackenzie (transcription and notes by N. Momigliano) 25 2.1. Further Investigations in the Area of the South Gate 25 2.2. The City Well of Beth Shemesh 33 2.3. The Exploration of the High Place Grotto Sepulchre 41 2.4. The Pottery of the High Place Grotto: First Beth Shemesh Period 45 2.5. The Hypogeum in the Area of the High Place 49 2.6. The Hypogeum-cistern by the Olive Press 54 2.7. Further Excavations in the Central City Area 65 2.8. The Stratification of the Deposits 67 2.9. The Deposits of the First Period 71 2.10. The Deposits of the Second Period 75 2.11. The Deposits of the Third or Israelite Period 82 2.12. The Deposits of the Period of Re-occupation 89 2.13. The Olive Press 93 2.14. Small Finds from the City Site of Beth Shemesh 97 vi the excavations of beth shemesh 3. Mackenzies third campaign at Beth Shemesh in the light of the renewed excavations at the site S. Bunimovitz and Z. Lederman 108 3.1. The renewed excavations of the South Gate 108 The eastern gate tower 108 The western gate tower 111 The gate passage 111 The gates construction 111 The end of the South Gate 113 3.2. Water of Beth Shemesh: The City Well and underground water reservoirs of Beth Shemesh 117 The City Well 117 The hypogea in the Central City Area 118 Deciphering depositional processes: water drawing and its aftermath 119 Sequencing the water installations at Beth Shemesh 122 3.3. The High Place Grotto Sepulchre, a Middle Bronze Pre-fortification Phase? 123 3.4. The Central City Area Deposits, from the First to the Third Periods 124 The deposits of the First Period 124 The deposits of the Second Period 126 The deposits of the Third Period 130 Mackenzies revised stratigraphical scheme of the First to Third Periods at Beth Shemesh 131 3.5. Deconstructing the Myth of the Reoccupation at Beth Shemesh 131 3.6. Mackenzies Olive Press and the Iron Age IIB Oil Industry at Beth Shemesh 134 3.7. Small Finds: The Iron Age Sickle Blades of Beth Shemesh 139 Bibliography 142 Index 146