Traces of the destruction wrought by the four kings can be found in the Chalcolithic period. Dr. J. Osgood argued this in a clinching piece of archaeological evidence [800]:
"As is often the case, the positive clue comes from the most insignificant portion of the passage. In Genesis 14:7 we are told that the [four] kings of Mesopotamia attacked "the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon-tamar".' Now 2 Chronicles 20:2 tells us that Hazezon-tamar is En-gedi, the oasis mentioned in Scripture a number of times on the western shore of the Dead Sea. The passage in Genesis chapter 14, therefore, allows us to conclude that in the days of Abraham there was a civilization in En-gedi ..., a civilization of Amorites, and that these were defeated by Chedorlaomer in his passage northward...".. [Map]
Happily for us, Chalcolithic settlements in Tuleilat al Ghussul, north-east of the Dead Sea, Jericho, Masada and En-gedi have been excavated. The excavations found only three major periods of settlement in En-gedi and its larger area:-
1. The Roman period - not relevant here.2. During the Kingdom of Israel - not relevant here.3. During the Chalcolithic of Palestine - "the largest and most prolific settlement period."
Osgood rightly concludes, therefore, that this Chalcolithic settlement must be the one that dates to the time of Abraham and the invasion by the four Mesopotamian kings.
This is another huge argument against the linear approach to stratigraphy. It tells us that, whilst sophisticated kingdoms and cities may be in place in one part of the world (e.g. the Ur III kingdom in Mesopotamia), those in other places may be living so basic an existence as to be classified according to a late Stone Age culture.
Courville has in turn identified the Jemdat Nasr period of expansion westwards - and the corresponding EB I in Egypt - with the event of dispersion that the Bible describes subsequent to the Tower of Babel incident [850]:
The beginning of Early Bronze I in the late predynastic [860] period of Egypt is tied in unmistakable fashion to Mesopotamian history for the period known as Jemdet Nasr. ... It is to be noted that, as in Egypt, so in Mesopotamia the Jemdet Nasr era marks the beginnings of dynastic history. Hence the point marks a widespread trend toward nationalism, as is to be expected following the Dispersion incident. Of this era, Piggot wrote:
Osgood rightly concludes, therefore, that this Chalcolithic settlement must be the one that dates to the time of Abraham and the invasion by the four Mesopotamian kings.
This is another huge argument against the linear approach to stratigraphy. It tells us that, whilst sophisticated kingdoms and cities may be in place in one part of the world (e.g. the Ur III kingdom in Mesopotamia), those in other places may be living so basic an existence as to be classified according to a late Stone Age culture.
Courville has in turn identified the Jemdat Nasr period of expansion westwards - and the corresponding EB I in Egypt - with the event of dispersion that the Bible describes subsequent to the Tower of Babel incident [850]:
The beginning of Early Bronze I in the late predynastic [860] period of Egypt is tied in unmistakable fashion to Mesopotamian history for the period known as Jemdet Nasr. ... It is to be noted that, as in Egypt, so in Mesopotamia the Jemdet Nasr era marks the beginnings of dynastic history. Hence the point marks a widespread trend toward nationalism, as is to be expected following the Dispersion incident. Of this era, Piggot wrote:
"... We are now approaching so near to the recorded history and king-lists of Mesopotamia that we can give an approximate date in years for the Jemdet Nasr - about 3000 B.C. [sic] - for it was followed by the period of the early Dynasties. The correlation of the beginning of Early Bronze I with the Dispersion from Babel becomes reasonably complete if evidence is at hand to indicate that the short-lived Jemdet Nasr culture of Mesopotamia and other contemporary cultures became scattered over the area of the then known world".
.... If one can free his thinking from the strangle-hold of popular opinion, the evidences become overwhelming that the beginning of Early Bronze I marks the point of the Dispersion as recorded in the scriptural accounts.
The magnitude of the migration of cultures at this point has been such as to call forth expressions of some astonishment on the part of scholars. .... Albright wrote:
The magnitude of the migration of cultures at this point has been such as to call forth expressions of some astonishment on the part of scholars. .... Albright wrote:
"... Towards the end of the fourth millennium [sic] there must have been an exceedingly intensive transfusion of culture going on in the Near and Middle East. Syria and Palestine naturally became the cultural intermediaries through which Mesopotamian influences streamed into Egypt in the period just before the First Dynasty, as has been demonstrated particularly by Frankfort and Scharff".
... Garstang:
"... In Palestine many great Canaanite cities have been shown by archaeological studies to date their origins from these times, such as Hazor, Taanak and Megiddo, on the north-eastern trade route, and Shechem, Beeroth and Jerusalem in the hill country to the south; and probably the same is true of most of the cities of the plains".
Early Bronze Burials
Moreover, "the Early Bronze practice of multiple burials in large caves" [880] matches perfectly the form of burial opted for by the early Hebrew patriarchs, in the cave of Machpelah that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Sarah had first been buried. (Cf. Genesis 23:9,17,19; 25:9; 49:30).
The above revision, based on the life of Abraham, demands a massive stratigraphical re-organisation of Mesopotamia, both internally and in its relation to Syro-Palestine and Egypt.
Moreover, "the Early Bronze practice of multiple burials in large caves" [880] matches perfectly the form of burial opted for by the early Hebrew patriarchs, in the cave of Machpelah that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Sarah had first been buried. (Cf. Genesis 23:9,17,19; 25:9; 49:30).
The above revision, based on the life of Abraham, demands a massive stratigraphical re-organisation of Mesopotamia, both internally and in its relation to Syro-Palestine and Egypt.
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