| Red routes through Benjamin's land connected west-east, north-south and defines the "quarters" in Joshua 18:14-15 |
Benjamin's tribal land included the northern section of Mount Moriah. The southern part, marked near the Gihon Spring was Judah's territory it was once called Luz or BeitEl (Bethel) (2Kings23:4). The mountain was occupied by Jebusites at the time Israel's tribal land boundaries were allotted by Moses and Joshua. Benjamin's territory served as a major traffic junction for people traversing the Judean ridge. The geophysical details are clearly described in the video below:
The precise location of Bethel (Luz according to Genesis 28:19, Joshua 18:13) and El Bethel (Genesis 35:7) remains a major point of contention among academics and Biblical scholars. Luz being synonymous with Bethel may not seem that significant, but it has caused and continues to cause Israel's greatest disasters. The problem is relevant because modern Bethel, north of Jerusalem, on Benjamin's northern border, distorts our understanding of places in Torah when it substitutes for Luz-Bethel, in ancient Jerusalem, on Benjamin's southern and Judah's northern boundary. The problem originated on Benjamin's northern boundary with Ephraim (see Bethel in the map above). Replace the name "Jerusalem" with "Bethel" and you will immediately see the confusion these dueling Bethel locations could have caused by two of Israel's most politically competitive tribes.
What's the big deal you may ask? During Israel's ~250 year exile in Egypt and sojourn in the dessert, the true location of Jacob's covenant at Bethel was buried under the ground of occupants on Mount Moriah and its location forgotten by Israel. Around 250 years before the tribes of Israel were allotted land under Joshua, Jacob had returned to Luz-Bethel-Ancient Jerusalem where he had made a covenant and took the name Israel (Genesis 35:10). Importantly Mount Moriah, the mountain on which Luz-Bethel-Ancient Jerusalem was located would ultimately become the site of Israel's holy altar and temple. As such it would be a prestigious and economically lucrative location, but from the time Israel returned to its land it was not generally known whether Jacob's Bethel was on the southern (with Judah) or northern (with Ephraim) boundary of Benjamin. This exacerbated rivalry between the tribes, Ephraim (from Joseph) and Judah.
The Book of Joshua recorded the land demarcation. However, after Joshua, despite the temporary tabernacle initially being established further north in Ephraim's territory, at Shiloh, contentions grew over the site of the future permanent temple. While the tribes were at first preoccupied, defending and settling their land, they could not penetrate the Gihon Spring fortress that the Jebusites had built at Luz and that hid the location of Jacob's forgotten Bethel. It would be another 300 years before the fortress was captured by King David. During this long period, without a national consciousness about the location of Jacob's Luz-Bethel-Ancient Jerusalem, Bethel on Benjamin's northern boundary with Ephraim became established. Bethel north was on the naturally busy route between Bethlehem, ancient Jerusalem (Jebus) and Shiloh, where the tabernacle was located for almost 300 years.
Recent discoveries at Ancient Jerusalem's City of David could be southern Bethel-Luz. They include:
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| High ridge plan[3] at the Gihon Spring in City of David ancient Jerusalem. Oil and grain press, altar, covenant stone |
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| Matzevah or the covenant stone was anointed with oil, perhaps the location of Jacob's assumption of his name Israel |
The site of Jacob's covenant was buried and the national memory of its location lost, but who hid it and why was it preserved? After a decade of research I still have a hard time deciphering the available information. Its clear to me the Jebusites, aided by Amorites, Hittites, Moabites and possibly Egyptians were motivated to built the huge fortress over the Gihon Spring. Most likely they were motivated to secure and industrialize water supply and prevent Israel returning to Ancient Jerusalem under Moses or Joshua. Their plan was successful and lasted ~400 years. Since this post was written we now know King David did not re-discover Jaocob's Bethel-Luz location, however archaeological evidence indicates the entire area (shown in the high-ridge plan above) was buried with soft soil to preserve it. During sand sifting (from above the bedrock) a bullae was discovered from the Kings period and several from periods prior including bronze age artifacts. I hypothesize the area on the bedrock was first re-discovered by or prior to Hezekiah when the stone cut channel from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam and the eastern defensive wall were built. Then, its was decided to re-bury it to protect it from the much anticipated Assyrian invasion.
After King Solomon, Northern Bethel, on the boundary of Ephraim and Benjamin was exploited by Jeroboam who used it to demarcate and split the northern tribes of Israel. To do so he played with the historical ambiguity. He built his palace in Shechem north of Shiloh, built Penuel (and most likely several other sites) and his idolatrous temple and altar in Bethel on Benjamin's northern boundary. Then, he specifically prevented Israel's northern tribes proceeding south to the temple in Jerusalem where his rival, Solomon's son Rehoboam presided (1Kings 12:25).
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| Jerusalem's Holy Basis [In chronological order] - [1] Gihon Spring, cave dwelling, Salem (Genesis 7:1) high ridge with altar, oil and grain press. [2] Abraham pitched his tent East of Bethel, West of Ai. (Genesis 12:8) [3] Luz-Bethel high ridge addition of matzevah, upper Gihon pool, fortress and city walls. [4a] Ai destroyed. [4b] Joshua's ambush party (Joshua 8:14) remained in Kidron Valley. [4c] Joshua's troops attack over valley to Ai [5] Palace of King David |
The image above describes the features that resolve the ambiguity of Jacob's Bethel. It may turn out that the matzevah (massebah), or standing pillar above the Gihon Spring is truly Jacob's and that the location was indeed obfuscated. If true, it would significantly re-orient scholars to re-consider all they know about the geography that has caused so much confusion. Finally we would restore Jacob to his rightful place, where he originally took the name Israel, where his father was bound by his grandfather who was the link to Israel's ancestral inheritance.
