Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

John Ronning observed (04 July 2000):

"The Ai of Joshua 7-8 should be a small (compared to Jericho and Gibeon)
Canaanite fortress of the Late Bronze Age..."

According to Garstang, Jericho was about 4 to 5 acres in size:

"Garstang...described Jericho as a four or five-acre city surrounded by a
double wall." (p. 836, Vol. 2, J.L. Kelso, "Jericho," G. A. Buttrick et al,
The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Abingdon press, Nashville, 1962)

Gibeon is described as about 16 acres in size:

"The area of the top of the south hill, the site of the ancient settlement,
is approximately sixteen acres." (p. 392, Vol. 2, J.B. Pritchard, "Gibeon,"
IDB, 1962)

Et-Tell, currently the most favored location for Ai was in its heyday of the
Early Bronze Age, about 27.5 acres in size (cf. ABD 1.127, J.A. Callaway,
"Ai," 1992)

John Ronning prefers Khirbet el-Maqatir to be Ai, noting size and location
features.

Problems:

The biblical account suggests the total number of inhabitants at Ai,
counting both men and women was 12,000 (Joshua 8:25):

"The number of those who fell that day, men and women together, was twelve
thousand, all people of Ai"

According to Pfeiffer, the population at ancient Gibeon was about 4,000 to
6,000 people:

"Gibeon's water supply for its 4,000 to 6,000 people..."
(p.266, "Gibeon," Charles F. Pfeiffer, Ediotor, The Biblical World, A
Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology, Broadman Press, Nashville, [1966],1976,
ISBN 0-8054-1130-5)

If Gibeon is larger than Ai, and its population is estimated at only 4000 to
6000, how does one account for 12,000 at Ai ?

Callaway found an Early Bronze Age reservoir at Et-Tell which he calculated
could sustain about 2,000 inhabitants. He noted that the Early Iron Age
settlement at Et-Tell was about 150 to 300 people:

"Estimates of the capacity of the reservoir (25 meters wide) range from
1,800 to 2,000 cubic meters. This would be enough to supplement rainfall and
other sources for a population of 2,000 inhabitants...The only
fortifications were those left standing from the Early Bronze city, which
were broken down in places and covered over by heaps of stones. Estimates of
the population [Early Iron Age] range from 150 to 300 persons."
(ABD 1.129-130, J. A. Callaway, "Ai," 1992)

One would think that Et-Tell with a population in its heyday of 2,000
inhabitants, would be much bigger than Gibeon's 4,000 to 6,000.

In either event, the population estimates made by archaeologists for Gibeon
suggest its population was half that of biblical Ai's 12,000 !

Archaeological excavations at Gibeon failed to find a Late Bronze Age town,
although a couple of tombs made in the Middle Bronze period had been
utilized in the LB era.

Conclusions:

Ai's population of 12,000 inhabitants appears to be a gross exaggeration in
light of population estimates for Gibeon (el-Jib). Gibeon didn't exist in
the LB for Joshua to defend, so we have a fictional account here. Ai, if
et-Tell, didn't have 12,000 inhabitants, as its water resources couldn't
support that large a population.  As noted 30 years ago by some scholars,
the biblical portrayal of the Conquest of Canaan by Joshua simply just
doesn't hold any water.

All the best,

Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany