Tell Jemmeh, Philistia and the Neo-Assyrian Empire during the Late Iron Age

Abstract

The site of Tell Jemmeh near Gaza has long been suggested as the location of an Assyrian administrative centre or even the seat of an Assyrian governor. This paper revisits this issue in the light of the more comprehensive evidence we now have on the site from Van Beek's excavations. Tell Jemmeh yielded both architectural features (in plans and building techniques) and Assyrian-style pottery that link it strongly to the Neo-Assyrian world. Whether these links indicate a massive Neo-Assyrian presence at the site, or that the site was an Assyrian administrative centre is still an open question. The archaeological and textual evidence from this period will be combined in order to examine the nature and extent of Neo-Assyrian influence on Tell Jemmeh in particular, and on Philistia in general. The characteristics of each of the Assyrian features will be studied in detail in order to assess its significance with regard to the Assyrian connection and the regional historical background. It seems that the Neo-Assyrian Empire had special interests in the region of Philistia and its city-states, together with other regions in the southern Levant. However, the nature of these interests, of imperial policies, and the consequences for the local cultures may have changed during the reign of the different Assyrian rulers during the late 8th and early 7th centuries BC. The management of the Assyrian Empire in its distant provinces and vassaldoms will also be discussed in the light of the archaeological evidence.