Gezer revisited and revised

Abstract

Gezer is a relatively large mound, almost 10 hectares in size. The strategically located ancient city commanded the coastal plain, the Valley of Aijalon and the road that led to the highlands north of Jerusalem. The site is mentioned in quite a large number of Egyptian, Assyrian, biblical and Hellenistic sources spanning from the Late Bronze Age through to the Hellenistic period. According to the biblical text, it was located on the southwestern outskirts of the Northern Kingdom, facing Judah and the Philistine territories a location that undoubtedly influenced its demography and material culture. All this makes it one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. Gezer was first excavated between 1902 and 1909 by R.A.S. Macalister on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Macalister exposed large parts of the mound in a series of parallel trenches and uncovered almost all of the famous Gezer monuments (Macalister I-III). A second dig, limited in scope, was conducted at the site by A. Rowe in 1934. The third expedition worked at Gezer from 1964 to 1974 on behalf of the Hue Biblical and Archaeological School in Jerusalem (Gezer I-V). It was led by G.E. Wright (1964-1965), W.G. Dever (1966-1971) and J.D. Seger (1972-1974). Dever returned to Gezer on a limited scale in 1984 and 1990 to tackle questions raised by critics of the Hue excavations. Though the HUe expedition was led by three directors, it was Dever who became the prominent figure. Dever directed eight of th…