Archaeological Errors at Tel Gezer Reveal Ancient Water System and Preserve Biblical Name in Arabic
In 1902, Irish archaeologist Robert Macalister conducted extensive excavations at Tel Gezer on behalf of the British Palestine Exploration Fund. Employing 200 workers from the nearby Arab village of Abu Shusha, Macalister excavated over half of the site, uncovering significant artifacts such as the Gezer calendar, ancient gates, and a water system. However, his excavation method caused irreversible damage: he dug a long trench and dumped soil and finds directly into previously excavated layers, mixing artifacts from different periods and losing their archaeological context. This led to misidentifications and chronological errors, including misdating Solomon's gate by nearly 800 years.
Despite publishing detailed reports in 1911-1912, Macalister's mixing of layers complicated later researchers' efforts to accurately date and interpret the finds. Among the discoveries was the largest known Canaanite water system ever uncovered, revealed by a tunnel at the site.
A notable cultural and historical aspect of Tel Gezer is the preservation of its ancient name through the Arabic "Jazar," meaning "man of Gezer." This name was continuously used by local inhabitants, including those of Abu Shusha, until the village's destruction in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The continuity of the name helped French explorer Charles Clermont-Ganneau identify the site in 1871 as the biblical Gezer mentioned in the Books of Kings and Amarna letters.
This phenomenon of Arabic place names preserving ancient Hebrew toponyms is not unique to Gezer. Similar examples include Ashdod (Arabic "Isdud"), Acre ("Akka"), Beit She'an ("Bisan"), and Jericho ("Ariha"). Medieval Jewish scholars like Rabbi Ashtori HaParchi and Ramban recognized this naming continuity as a reliable method for identifying biblical locations.
Thus, the Arabic language, often unintentionally, has preserved the Jewish historical connection to the land through place names, maintaining a continuous link to the region's ancient past despite demographic and political changes.
The article was written by historian and lecturer Israel Shapira, who specializes in the history and archaeology of the Land of Israel.
