Body: | Ostraca of Elisha found in the home town of Elisha (Abel-meholah): 830 BC
Elisha of Abel-meholah: 1 Kings 19:15-17
Tel Rehov Apiary: excavation site name for Biblical Abel-meholah
"The Lord said to Elijah [at Mt. Sinai],
"Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus,
and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;
and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel;
and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet
in your place."
(1 Kings 19:15-16)
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Digging up Bible stories!
Tel Rehov provides 3 Bible keys:
1. Tel Rehov is identified as Biblical Abel-meholah, the home town of Elisha
2. The Ostraca of with Elisha's name: 1 Kings 19:15-17
3. Apiary (Honey bee factory) proving "a land of milk and honey" means bee honey not date honey as is currently taught throughout Israel.
"What we read in the book, we find in the ground"
See also: Chronology of Elisha and Elijah.
Introduction to the Elisha ostraca:
1. See also: Chronology of Elisha and Elijah.
2. To find an ostraca with the name of Elisha on it, in the
home town of Elisha in the Bible is a stunning proof that "what you read
in the book, you find in the ground".
a. The ostraca of Elisha was discovered in 2013 AD in
professional 3-dimentional archeological excavations at Tel Rehov
b. Tel Rehov is located 5 km (3 miles) due south of
Beth-Shean clearly visible as a large tel (hill) on the east side of the
main highway south to Jericho.
3. Tel Rehov is the home town of Elisha in the Bible called
Abel-Meholah
4. While the anointing of Elisha took place in 865 BC and the
Ostraca is dated to 830 BC (35 years later), this documents the Bible story
perfectly.
a. The home town of Elisha would be a famous place during
and after his lifetime.
5. Finds from the excavations at Tel Rehov are housed at the
Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv which features:
a. The Elisha ostracon
b. Excavated of pagan ceramic fertility goddesses.
c. Several ceramic four horned altars.
d. Stamped jar handles unique to Tel Rehov.
e. A variety of household pottery, including a tabun (oven).
f. Mud bricks from the houses. (see photo below)
g. Reconstruction loom with excavated loom weights.
h. A display that identifies the "House of Elisha".
i. A storage jar had the name Nimshi inscribed on it
- the name identical to that of King Jehu's grandfather (1 Kings 19:16;
2 Kings 9:2).
j. Bronze blades, arrow heads, and a sickle.
I. Excavation of Tel Rehov as biblical Abel-Meholah:
1. The Onomasticon of Eusebius: 325 AD
a. The Onomasticon is an ancient dictionary of Bible places
and cities.
b. The Madaba Map was based upon Eusebius' Onomasticon.
2. Name ring of Pharaoh Shishak: Rehov
a. See full outline on Shishak's list of 187 cities on
the wall of the Karnak temple
b. While Thutmoses III and Shishak indeed both list Rehov as
an ancient city, it does not tell us where it is except for a general
association with other places.
c. You cannot use the Egyptian city names list to mark with
certainty, the location of Rehov.
d. The Bible never refers to this ancient city by this name.
e. The geographical information in the Bible is far more
precise for Abel-Meholah.
f. Abel-Meholah is possibly an alternate name for ancient
Rehov!
3. The Onomasticon on Abel-Meholah:
a. "Abelmaelai (Abelmaula). One of the capital cities of
Solomon. Home of Eliseus (the prophet). There is now a village called
Bethmaela (Bethmaula) in the Aulon [of which we have spoken above], ten
miles from Scythopolis [Beth-Shean] (to the south). There is also a (little
village Abelmea seen on the road from (between) Neapolis to (and)
Scythopolis." (Onomasticon, Eusebius, 325 AD) footnote: Abelmaelai
(Abelmaula). I Kings 4:12; K. 34:20; L. 243:35.
b. Eusebius marks Abel-Meholah 10 miles (16 km) south of
Beth-Shean.
c. Zarethan is 40 km south east of Beth-Shean.
4. The Onomasticon on Tel Rehov:
a. "Roōb. Through which came (crossed) the spies with
Josue (son of Nun). There is a village (today called) Roōb four miles from
Scythopolis. Separated to the Levites." (Onomasticon, Eusebius, 325 AD)
footnote: 766. Roōb. Numbers 13:21; K. 142:18; L. 280:82.
b. Notice that Eusebius wrongly associated the northern-most
city of the the 12 spies of the conquest in 1406 BC, with Beth-Rehob
(Beth-Rehov) located north west of Tel-Dan on the northern border of Israel
with Hamath.
c. Eusebius said that Roōb was 4 miles south of Beth-Shean
but Tel Rehov is only 3 miles south.
d. Eusebius was simply wrong.
5. We have Rehov listed on Shishak at the time of Solomon but
this city is never named in the Bible.
a. The problem is that we really have no idea how to locate
Rehov in the name ring.
b. The location of Abel-meholah is more certain. I think that
Abel-meholah is an alternate name for Shishak's Rehov which was never
used in the Bible.
6. The bible on Rehov (Beth-Rehob) in the bible is north of Tel
Dan:
a. Time of David: "Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they
had become odious to David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans
of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king
of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men. When David
heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. The sons of
Ammon came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city,
while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were
by themselves in the field." (2 Samuel 10:6-8)
b. Time of Conquest of Tel Dan 1340 BC: "Then they took what
Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish,
to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword;
and they burned the city with fire. And there was no one to deliver them,
because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it
was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and
lived in it. They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan
their father who was born in Israel; however, the name of the city formerly
was Laish." (Judges 18:27-29)
c. Northern most point at Hamath the spies went at the time
of Joshua in 1406 BC. Notice that Lebo-hamath literally means in Hebrew
"border of Hamath", which was the northern border of the promised land:
"So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far
as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath." (Numbers 13:21)
7. The bible on Abel-Meholah is southwest of Beth-shean near
the Chereth River and Zarethan:
a. Time of Gideon: "When they blew 300 trumpets, the LORD
set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and
the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of
Abel-meholah, by Tabbath." (Judges 7:22)
b. Time of Solomon: "Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and
Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from
Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam;" (1 Kings
4:12)
c. Home of Elisha: "and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall
anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you
shall anoint as prophet in your place." (1 Kings 19:16)
8. Zarethan is located 40 km south east of Beth-Shean on the
Chereth River on the east side of the Jordan River.
9. Conclusions:
a. The Bible never refers to Rehov of Shishak. Rehov and
Abel-Meholah are therefore never listed together. Abel-Meholah is possibly
an alternate name for ancient Rehov!
b. The Rehov of the bible is Abel-Rehob which is located far
north of Beth-shean on the border of Hamath.
c. The geographical information in the Bible is far more
precise for Abel-Meholah.
d. There are no known archeological sites at modern
"Mehola" or "Shadmot Mehola"
e. The archeology of Tel Rehov dates back to the Late Bronze
age, which is the time of Joshua.
f. Ancient Rehov of Shishak is therefore an alternate
name for biblical Abel-Meholah marked today as the archeological site of
Tel Rehov, the home town of Elisha.
II. Excavation of Tel Rehov as biblical Abel-Meholah:
1. In 2013 AD professional three-dimensional archeological
excavations were carried out which resulted in the discovery of two very
important things:
a. The Elisha ostraca: A pottery sherd was found with
Elisha's name printed in large red letters in Paleo-Hebrew script
b. An apiary: This bee factory used man-made clay cylinders in
which was placed a queen bee. The sophistication of this ancient Iron age
site proves that Israel was a land of "Milk and BEE honey", not date
honey as is popularly fictionalized today in Israel.
2. The town of Abel-Meholah covered about 50 meters square and
featured mudbrick construction:
a. Pictured is the author pointing to ancient in situ mudbrick
from one of the town building house walls.
3. Here is a panorama of the ancient town of Abel-Meholah as seen
today
III. The Ostraca of Elisha:
1. Discovered in 2013 AD in professional 3-dimentional
archeological excavations, the ostraca represents a rare and stunning find.
a. Although the ostraca was broken, the large red letters in
Paleo-Hebrew script clearly spelled out "Elisha"
2. The excavation dump site at Tel Rehov can be seen today.
a. Archeologists have examined each and every one of the
excavated sherds, recorded their forms, dates and quantity, then are
discarded in a "pottery dump".
b. Pictured is the author at the Tel Rehov pottery dump:
IV. The Apiary at Tel Rebov:
1. This bee factory featured man-made clay cylinders in which was
placed a queen bee.
a. During the excavation they found thousands of ancient dead
bees, honey and honeycomb.
2. The sophistication of this ancient Iron age site proves that
Israel was a land of "Milk and BEE honey", not date honey as is
popularly fictionalized today in Israel.
3. Here is an excavation photo of the in situ ceramic bee hive
cylinders:
Conclusion:
1. See also: Chronology of Elisha and Elijah.
2. Ancient Rehov of Shishak is an alternate name for biblical
Abel-Meholah marked today as the archeological site of Tel Rehov, the home
town of Elisha.
3. Tel Rehov has confirmed the historical accuracy of the
Bible:
a. Israel was indeed a land of "milk and bee-honey"
b. Elisha was a real person. Not only have we found his town,
but excavators believe they have identified his actual house.
c. The Elisha ostraca in large red print on a broken
pottery sherd is a stunning find.
4. What you read in the book you find in the ground.
5. Why not attend a bible-believing church in your own home
town this Sunday: Click to find church near you!
By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.
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