Gibeah

The Search for a Biblical City

Patrick M. Arnold

• Publisher: Sheffield Academic Press
• Year: 1990
• Print ISBN: 9780567402127
• eBook ISBN: 9780567415554
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

This work is a cross-disciplinary study of Israel's first 'capital city' from topographical, archaeological, historical, and literary perspectives. Challenging William F. Albright's claim that the ancient city is to be identified with Tell el-Ful, the book develops the case for a location instead at modern Jeba, 9 km north-east of Jerusalem, a site-change that bears important consequences for several scholarly theories relating to Gibeah. Among these are the inquest into the historicity and literary composition of the story of the 'Outrage of Gibeah' (Judg. 19-21) and the origins and nature of Saul's kingship (1 Sam. 9-15). Both of these texts are treated thoroughly as preparation for a concluding investigation into the meaning of the prophet Hosea's references to Israel's sins 'in the days of Gibeah'.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Map 1: The Location of Gibeah at Jeba
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 THE LITERARY SEARCH FOR GIBEAH
• Chapter 2 SEARCHING FOR GIBEAH
• Chapter 3 THE OUTRAGE AT GIBEAH
• Chapter 4 GIBEAH AND THE RISE OF THE ISRAELITE MONARCHY
• Chapter 5 'BLOW THE TRUMPET IN GIBEAH'
• Figure 1: Plan of Period I Remains at Tell el-Ful
• Figure 2: Fortress I and II at Tell el-Ful
• Figure 3: Period II Fortress at Tell el-Ful
• Plate 1: The Village of Jeba
• Plate 2: View of Mukhmas
• Plate 3: The Wadi es-Swem't
• Plate 4: 'Tooth of Rock' in the Geba Pass
• Plate 5: The cave of el-Jaia
• Appendix 1: [Omitted]-root Toponyms in Benjamin
• Appendix 2: The Reconstructed Core Narrative
• Appendix 3: The Reconstructed 'Rise of Saul' Narrative
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index of Biblical References
• Index of Authors