Archaeological Findings

Gibeah was a strongly fortified site in the late Iron II period, as indicated by a casemate of iron from the Iron II period and a revetment (a sloping protective structure on a cliff or bank) to the east of the casemate (Lapp, “Tell el-Fûl,” 4). Gibeah’s watchtower (migdol) served as a military outpost guarding Jerusalem on the north (Sinclair, “Archaeological Study,” 58). The remains of a tower, dated to between the last quarter of the 11th century and the mid-10th century bc, belong to either the Philistines or Saul (Lapp, “Tell el-Fûl,” 3).

Gibeah was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 bc and abandoned after 100 years, though it later was resettled (Lapp, “Tell el-Fûl,” 6). Remains of Hellenistic constructions on the surface of the site date to the second half of the second century bc and indicate that Gibeah was a populous city during that period (Lapp, “Tell el-Fûl,” 7). The Hellenistic occupation ended around 100 bc (Lapp, “Tell el-Fûl,” 7). The Roman period is represented by a few objects from the surface layers of the summit, but they are not enough to prove occupation (Lapp, “Tell el-Fûl,” 7).