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BiblicalArch to the Mediterranean Perspectiveson the AncientWorldfromMesopotamia A Publicationof the AmericanSchoolsof OrientalResearch

Volume60 Number4 December1997

194 Ancient Moab:Still LargelyUnknown MaxMiller

I, pg

tI

229.

Ancient times knew the region immediately east of the Dead Sea as Moab. Until recently, mapmakers and explorers-from Tristram to Glueck-added only fitfully to what we knew of the land of Moab from ancient inscriptions and the Hebrew Bible. Advances in archaeological method and the interpretation of literary traditions have brought new insights to this legacy. The study of Moab is gaining momentum.

205 Roads and Settlementsin Moab J.AndrewDearman

Roadways and cities in ancient Moab? The most obvious road was emperor Trajan's Vianova Traiana.One can only infer predecessor highways during the Bronze and Iron Ages. As far as cities and settlements go, a welter of ambiguities keeps historical geographers in a state of uncertainty.

....1

214 A New Agenda for Research on Ancient Moab GeraldL.Mattingly

The recently initiated Karak Resources Project has set out to document natural resource utilization by the inhabitants of central Jordan'sKarakplateau. The crucial issue is whether the realiaof archaeology can help us discover the very genesis of a people like the Moabites.

222 Moab'sNorthernBorder:Khirbatal-Mudaynaon the Wadi ath-Thamad P.M.MichbleDaviau

?r

r'

Current excavations at Khirbat al-Mudayna on the Wadi ath-Thamad mark the beginning of an effort to bring the landscape of Moabite ethnicity into focus. Data from excavation and regional survey suggest that Khirbatal-Mudayna may have indeed anchored Moab's Iron Age northern frontier.

229 Egyptand Moab UdoWorschech The earliest references to the peoples of Moab appear in two inscriptions from the reign of Ramesses II. While Egyptian sources offer nothing regarding Moab during the Iron Age, fortunately, other sources, such as the BalT Stele and the Mesha Inscription, step in. On the whole, the evidence suggests that Moab was a larger political factor than historians have realized.

237 Moabite Social Structure page 229

RandallW Younker Was ancient Moab a tribal kingdom, a state, or a nation? While some characteristics of Moabite material culture such as public buildings and monumental art may suggest the presence of a state, there are more than a few hints that argue for the persistence of "tribalism" in Moab.

249 Arti-facts 255 Caughtin the Net On the cover: A modern road (right)traversesthe gorge of Wadi al-Majib.The massivegorge isolates the central plateau of Moab from the northern. Photograph courtesy of R. Cleave. Inside rearcover: JimSauer-In Appreciation

From

the

Guest

Editor

Forseveralreasons,especiallybecause of its politicalisolationand instabilityduring the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, archaeologicalexploration of the region east of the Dead Sea has lagged behind that of Palestine as a whole. The limited exploration of this land of the ancient Moabites has occurred primarily in four "spurts."The first spurt was initiated by F.A. Klein's discovery of the Mesha Inscription in 1868. His spectacular discovery focused world attention Moab for a moment and prompted the PalestineExplorationSociety to send two expeditions (E. H. Palmerand C. F.T.Drake;H. B. Tristram)in searchof more inscriptions.The results of both expeditions were disappointing, and the one led by Tristramturned out to be a logistical nightmare. The second spurt occurredduring the decade following 1894,during which time the Ottoman government managed to reassertits authorityin southern Transjordan and provide a degree of security for travellers. No excavations were conducted at this time. By 1905, however, when a Shobak uprising spread quickly to Karakand rendered the whole region unstable again through World WarI, explorers such as, E J.Bliss,R. Briinnow and A. von Domaszewski, and A. Musil had clarifiedthe top6graphical confusion evident in treatments of Moab in nineteenth century maps. The third spurt was touched off in 1930when R. Head discovered, almost by chance, the intriguing BalocStele. Threeyears laterCrowfoot made a sounding at KhirbetelBaltc where Head had discovered the stele, Albrightmade a sounding at Adir where Musil had reportedhuge standingmonoliths,and Glueckbegan his importantarchaeological survey of the southern Transjordan. Not overlooking the important excavations initiated during the 1950s and 1960s at Dhiban, Bab edh-Dhracand Hisban, or the soundings at other sites such as el-CAland cAr'air,I believe it accurate to say that the 1970s witnessed the beginning of another spurt in the exploration east of the Dead Sea. This recent initiative was more calculatedthan the earlierones; except for Petra,southernTransjordanhad emerged by the 1970sas a glaring gap in our knowledge of the archaeologyof Palestine, and archaeologistsworking in Jordanat the time set about to fill in the gap. This was especially true of the Moabiteplateaubetween Wadial-Mijib and Wadial-Hasa. Also the recent initiative has turned out to be more sustained. This issue of the BiblicalArchaeologist containsarticlesby five archaeologistswho have figuredprominently in this most recent phase which has been underway for some two decades now. The papers focus on matters pertaining to the Iron Age-i. e., the specifically "Moabite"period. Much of what we know, or think we know, about the Moabites comes of course from the Hebrew Bible.In this regardone should be awareof another factor,in addition to limiting political and logistical conditions, that has tended to deprive the ancient Moabites of proper attention.Especially during the present century, the study of Moabite history and culture has been conducted largely as an appendage to the study of Israelite history and culture. This is especially evident in.publicationsfrom the 1930sthrough the early 1970s.Scholarswith trainingin biblical studies continue to play an important role in the current,1970s and following, phase archaeologicalexploration of Moab. Therehave been radical changes in biblical studies over the past two decades, however, and nowhere is this more evident than in approaches to and perceptions of ancient Israelite history. One of the concerns of contemporary biblical historians is to rediscover, on their own terms, the history and culture of the other peoples of Iron Age Palestine. This concern to discover the Moabites as a people on their own terms, with their own culture and their own claim to history,will be evident in each of the articles in this issue. Actually, when you think about it, the ancient Moabites are better documented in terms of first-hand written sources than the ancient Israelites. Would that we had additional epigraphicalsourcesfor ancientPalestinecomparableto the Mesha Inscription. Becausethe contributorsto this issue areon the frontierof archaeologicalresearch in an area which remains largely unexplored, one can expect a degree of tentativeness and some differences of opinion. If the differencesof opinion are not apparent from a first reading of the articles,go back and read more closely. Specialcreditfor encouragingand supportingthe latest spurt of researchin Moab should go to Jim Sauer. As director of ACOR in Amman, as ceramics expert and scholar,and as advisor and friend, Jim has influenced each one of the projectsdiscussed here. This issue is, therefore,offered to Jim with grateful appreciation.

Biblical

Archaeologist

Perspectiveson the Ancient Worldfrom

to theMediterranean Mesopotamia

EditorDavid C. Hopkins Art DirectorBucky Edgett,LuckyProductions Book Review EditorMichel Fortin Arti-Facts EditorsBruceand Carolyn Routledge EditorialAssistants Mary PetrinaBoyd, Ellen Rowse Spero Editorial Committee KennethG. Hoglund JefferyA. Blakely Elizabeth Bloch-Smith Douglas A. Knight J. P. Dessel MaryJoan Leith ErnestS. Frerichs GloriaLondon Ronald S. Hendel Jodi Magness Gerald L. Mattingly RichardS. Hess Gaetano Palumbo Louise Hitchcock Paul Zimansky Subscriptions Annual subscriptionrates are $35 for individuals and $45 for institutions.Thereis a special annual rateof $28 for students, those over 65, physically challenged,or unemployed. Biblical is also availableas part of the benefits Archaeologist of some ASORmembershipcategories.For details, contactASORat 617-353-6570.Postage for Canadianand other internationaladdressesis an additional $5. Payments should be sent to ASOR Membership/SubscriberServices,PO. Box 15399, Atlanta,GA 30333-0399Phone 404-727-2345.Email:[email protected]. VISA/Mastercard orderscan be phoned in. Back issues Backissues can be obtainedby calling SP CustomerServicesat 800-437-6692or writing SP CustomerServices,PO. Box 6996,Alpharetta, GA 30239-6996. Postmaster Send addresschanges to Biblical ASORMembership/Subscriber Archaeologist, Services,P.O.Box 15399,Atlanta,GA 30333-0399. Periodicalsclass postage paid at Atlanta,GA and additionaloffices. Copyright? 1997by the AmericanSchools of OrientalResearch. Correspondence All editorialcorrespondence 4500 should be addressed to BiblicalArchaeologist, MassachusettsAvenue NW, Washington,DC 20016-5690(ph:202-885-8699;fax:202-885-8605;email [email protected]).Correspondence regardingsubmissionsfor Arti-Factscan be sent to Prof.B. Routledge;School of Arts and Sciences, Departmentof Anthropology;325 University Museum;33rdand SpruceStreets;Philadelphia, PA 19104-6398 Book ReviewsAll books for review should be sent to: ProfessorMichelFortin,D6partement d'histoire,Universite Laval,Ste-Foy,Quebec, CanadaG1K7P4.Books enteringCanadashould be marked:EducationalMaterialfor Review;No CommercialValue-GSTExempt. Advertising Correspondenceshould be addressed to LeighAnderson, ScholarsPress,P.O.Box 15399, Atlanta,GA 30333-0399(ph:404-727-2327;fax:404727-2348).Ads for the sale of antiquitieswill not be accepted. BiblicalArchaeologist (ISSN0006-0895)is published quarterly(March,June,September,December)by ScholarsPress,819 Houston Mill Road NE, Atlanta,GA 30329,for the AmericanSchools of OrientalResearch(ASOR);656 BeaconStreet; Boston,MA 02215-2010.Phone:617-353-6570. Printedby CadmusJournalServices,Baltimore, MD.

Ancient

LARGELY

STILL

Moab

UNKNOWN

By MaxMiller SEAWASKNOWN TheLandof Moab OFTHE DEAD EAST IMMEDIATELY REGION Moab's terrain is mostly rolling plateau which averas Moab in ancienttimes, and the villagerswho planted their crops and grazed their flocks between the Dead ages about 1000meters in elevation.A dramaticcanyon, Wadi River of the Bible), divides the plateau Sea and the desert fringe were the Moabites. Egypt- al-Mijib (the Amrnon ian recordsfrom near the end of the Late BronzeAge provide into two parts, the northern plateau (biblicalmifgr,Josh 13:9; the earliestinscriptionalreferencesto the region and its inhab- Jer48:21) and the central plateau (Moab proper). In the Joritants. Unfortunately, these Egyptian references are scarce dan Valley below the northern plateau are the "plains of and tell us very little about the people who occupied Moab Moab" (biblicalcarbotmo ab,Num 22:1;33:48).A second and at that time or earlier.Most of our written information about equally formidable canyon, if slightly less dramatic, marks the southern end of the Moabite plateau. This is Wadi alMoab and the Moabites comes from the Hebrew Bible, in fact, and from the so-called Mesha Inscriptionwhich reports Hasa, probably the River Zered of biblical times. the deeds of the ninth century King Mesha of Moab who Typically, there are heavy winter rains and the porous soil holds enough of this moisture for cereal crops and pasfinds mention also in the Hebrew Bible (2 Kgs 3). Assyrian inscriptions from the eighth and seventh centuries BCEpro- turage for sheep and goats. Spots where the soil is deeper vide passing referencesto laterMoab rulers.When the southern and springs available, especially along the edge of the Dead Sea escarpment and shelves above Wadi al-Hasa, produce Transjordan fell first under Nabataean control during the Hellenistic period and then, in 106 CE,was incorporated into fruit trees and vineyards. Thus, Moab is reasonably good the Roman province of Arabia Petraea, most of the indigenous "Moabite"population east of the Dead Sea would have The LejjunMenhirsas photographed by the CentralMoab Survey.In remained in place while the name Moab gradually dropped 1978, sixteen of the pillarsremainedin place (eleven standing and five and out of use.1 Historically, therefore, the names "Moab" fallen) from when Glueckphotographedthe same pillars(see "Moabite"pertain to the Iron Age. below). Allphotographs courtesyof M. Millerunless noted..

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agricultural land in spite of the facts that the soils tend to be thin, there are relatively few springs, and the waters of the Mtjib and the Hasa are virtually inaccessible because of the steepness of the canyons. Moab's agricultural productivity during ancient times is well illustrated, in fact, by the biblical story of Ruth and references to King Mesha. The story of Ruth begins with a time of famine in Judah; thus Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons emigrated to Moab where there still was food to be had (Ruth1:1-5).King Mesha, we are told, "was a sheep breeder; and he had to deliver annually to the king of Israela hundred thousand lambs, and the wool of a hundred thousand rams" (2 Kgs 3:4). Regardless of the historical accuracy of these passages, they reflect assumptions on the biblical narrators' part that Moab produced food even at times when other parts of Palestine were suffering famine and that, in better times, it produced sheep by the thousands. Moab proper, the central plateau, is relatively isolated by geographical barriers -the Dead Sea on the west, the Arabian desert on the east, Wadi al-Majib on the north, and

Wadi al-Hasa on the south. The northern plateau is more open to the outside world, on the other hand, and during the Iron Age more vulnerable to encroachment by neighboring kingdoms. At one time or another, kings of Israel, Ammon, and possibly Syria claimed northern Moab, for example, and the local population no doubt held mixed loyalties. Numbers 21:21-32 and related passages set forth Israel's claim. Specifically, while these passages refer to the region as "Moab" (consistent with references in Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah), they advance the argument that (a) the Arnon was the original northern boundary of Moab, and (b) Moses conquered all of the region north of the Arnon from an ancient Amorite king and assigned it to the tribes of Reuben and Gad (Numbers 33). The Mesha Inscription, representing a Moabite perspective, recognizes that Gadites dwelt in certain villages north of the Arnon, but presupposes thathistoricallythis was Moabiteterritoryand celebrates its return to Moabite control. Although a full Ammonite statement on the matter has not survived, it is obvious from Judges 11 (Jephthah negotiates with Ammon) that the Ammonites regarded the rich agricultural land of northern Moab as belonging appropriately to them. BiblicalArchaeologist 60:4(1997)

195

Most of the ancient Moabite towns and villages mentioned in the Bible, and virtually all of those whose locations can be determined today with any degree of confidence,were situated north of the Mujib. When places between the Majib and the are mentioned, the clues provided as to their locations .Hasa specific usually are exceedingly vague. The explanation for this, of course, is that northern Moab was better known to the ancient Israelites because it was more easily accessibleto them. A similarsituationhas existed until recently with regardto the archaeologicalremains of the region. Moab has received relatively little attention from archaeologists compared to most other parts of Palestine, and what attention it has received generally has been focused on northern Moab.

NineteenthCenturyExplorationsin the Landof Moab During the nineteenth century, relatively few outsiders entered the region east of the Dead Sea, and fewer still dared to cross the Majib or the Hasa onto the centralplateau. Those who did cross into Moab proper almost invariably were apprehended by the local Bedouin tribe which dominated the region, held under what amounted to "house arrest"until they paid bakhshish,and then sent hurrying on their way. Among the travellers who traversed the whole Moabite plateau including Moab proper prior to 1870and whose published observationsdeserve specialmention areUlrichSeetzen (1805), Ludwig Burckhardt (1812), Charles Irby and James Mangles (1818), and Louis de Saulcy (1851).2Both Seetzen and Burckhardt died during the course of their travels, and their travel journals were edited and published posthumously by editors who did not always understandthe details. Burckhardt'sjournal was published first, in 1822,and served as the basis for the Moab segment of Edward Robinson'smap of Palestine published in 1841. Robinson's map depicts several strange featuresfor the Moab segment, most of which can be traced to editorial mistakes in Burckhardt'sjournal and/or to entirely understandable misinterpretations of the journal on Robinson's part. Unfortunately,these strange features would linger on in maps of Palestine throughout the nineteenth century (Miller forthcoming). The discovery of the Mesha Inscriptionat Dhiban in 1868 initiated a brief phase of more intentional exploration in the region east of the Dead Sea. Returningto Jerusalemtwo years after the discovery from an expedition into the Sinai sponsored by the Palestine Exploration Society, E. H. Palmer and C. E T.Drake circledaround the southernend of the Dead Sea and journeyed through Moab in hopes of finding more inscriptions. Two years later,in 1872, and also under the auspices of the Palestine Exploration Society, H. B. Tristramled an exploratoryexpeditionwhich focused specificallyon Moab. His party, which included F. A. Klein, the discoverer of the Mesha Inscription,approachedKarakfrom around the southern end of the Dead Sea. After some delay at Karak, until satisfactory payment was made to the tribal sheik, the partyheaded north.Plaguedby heavy rainstorms,they reached 196

60:4(1997) BiblicalArchaeologist

A View from JabalShihanacrossthe northernMoabite plateau.The rimof Wadial-Mijib is visiblein the distance.Thisplateau region lackedthe naturalboundariesof the centralregion and was apparentlycontested real estate throughout the IronAge.

7

Moab as depicted in the map preparedby EdwardRobinsonfor his BiblicalResearches(1841). Note the strange topographical features such as the crescentof mountainssoutheast of the and the transposedpositionsof JabalShThanand erMOCjib/Arnon of Most these features can be traced to errorsin Burckhardt's RTha. or to Robinson's misinterpretationof the journal. journal

As illustratedby this map publishedby the PalestineExploration Fundin 1890,the topography of the centralMoabite plateau remainedpoorly understoodas the nineteenth centurydrew to a close.

the Mijib the second day after leaving Karak and crossed at approximately the point where the modem road crosses today. Either the party got lost along the way, however, or Tristram's travel notes became garbled, because the place names which he recorded between Karak and the Mtijib do not correlate with the route which they must have followed. The map which he provided with his published travel account (Tristram1873) only increases the confusion.

The main projectundertakenby the Palestine Exploration Society during the 1870s was the mapping of western Palestine. An American Palestine Exploration Society also was founded at that time and undertook as its firstprojectthe mapping of eastern Palestine. Two expeditions set out, the first led by John A. Paine and Lieutenant Edgar Z. Steever in 1872, the second by Selah Merrill in 1875-77. The results were not very satisfactoryin either case and pertainedentirely to northernMoab (Merrill1881;Moulton 1928).In 1881,therefore, after completing with H. H. Kitchener the mapping of western Palestine,C. R. Conder attemptedto pick up in northern Moab where the Americans had left off. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw from the project after only ten weeks in the field because of the limitations of his permit. During that ten weeks, however, he surveyed approximately 500 square miles -from Wadi Zarqa Ma