Neta’im

http://newmedia-eng.haifa.ac.il??p=2654 professor Gershon Galil of the Dept of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa has identified Khirbet Qeiyafa as ‘Neta’im’ which is mentioned in Chronicles. It was a centre of pottery manufacture in the service of the king and interestingly was located near the border with Philistia. The modern town is in the Elah Valley region and archaeology has dated the site to the beginning of the 10th century – in the reign of King David (on the assumption David was contemporary with the Early Iron Age). Once again the archaeology here is unclear as it depends on what dating system is being used – that of Mazar or that of Finkelstein. It is likely that the Mazar chronology is being used (and the Mazar radio carbon dating laboratory) as their declared aim is to prove the veracity of the Bible and to do this they stick rigidly to the conventional chronology. Obviously, as far as the various revisions of chronology are concerned, in particular those that have gestated within the SIS – such as Peter James, David Rohl, Barry Curnock, Eric Aitchison, Emmet Sweeney et al, there are problems with dating David to the Early Iron Age – but it only takes the turn of a spade to alter all misconceptions and carefully constructed frameworks.