Sy Gitin examines pieces of four-horned and round alters from Tell Miqne.

Lecture to shed new light on biblical Philistines

Sy Gitin will present an illustrated lecture on “Ekron of the Bible: The Rise and Fall of a Philistine City-State” at 7:30 p.m. in Simrall Hall auditorium. Gitin is the Dorot director and professor of archaeology of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem.

Since 1981, excavations at Tell Miqne have provided convincing evidence that the site is Ekron, a capital city of the Philistines. The excavations are sponsored jointly by the W.F. Albright Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Gitin is co-director of the project.

In addition to his work at Miqne, Gitin's archaeological experience includes work at Tell Gezer, Jebel Qa'aqir and Tel Dor. He is the author of numerous books and articles.

Following its initial settlement around 1200 B.C., Ekron went through a process of growth, decline, and reurbanization as a city-state on the western border of the Hebrew kingdom of Judah. It reached the zenith of its economic development in the seventh century B.C. when it was one of the ancient Near East's largest olive oil producing centers.

As a client state of the powerful Assyrian Empire, Ekron was engaged in widespread international trade until the city was destroyed in 603 B.C. by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.

The cosmopolitan nature of the city as an international trade center is well illustrated by diverse objects left in the destruction debris. These include cultic inscriptions and Israelite four-horned altars modeled after the type in the courtyard of the Hebrew temple in Jerusalem, along with Assyrian, Egyptian, and Phoenician figurines and ceramic vessels.

Gitin's free, public lecture is sponsored by the Cobb Institute of Archaeology and the College of Arts and Sciences.

NOTE: A documentary on the Miqne-Ekron excavations, "The Last Days of the Philistines," will air Oct. 30 on The Learning Channel series "Archaeology."