Tel Dan, Israel
“When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan”. Genesis 14:14
In the Old Testament the land of Israel is stated to be as “from Dan to BeerSheba” - North to South. The Tel Dan Nature Reserve in northern Israel today encompasses one of the sources of the Jordan River (Dan spring and stream), beautiful and accessible walking trails, and the archeological site of Old Testament Dan. Dan is a 5000 year old settlement that was at its pinnacle during the time of the United Kingdom of Israel and into the era of the divided Kingdom. Our pictures are from 2020, and there has been further excavation since. We are very excited to visit in again in January 2023 (God willing) and see the changes!
One of the major features of the site is “Abraham’s Gate”. This is a mud brick structure on top of megalithic stones and built as a gate in approximately 1750 BC. The outer gate from the Iron Age, the Israelite gate, and the city wall fortifications are restored. Inside the gate there is stone platform from the 9th - 8th century BC. You can even see stone sockets in the corners of this platform - possibly to hold a cover over what may have been the kings seat where he would sit in judgement at the gate. Just picture terrible King Ahab sitting in the gate! Near here is where the remains of the Tel Dan Stele were found. A part of the inscription in Aramaic says “House of David” and “King of Israel” - of course not all archeologist agree, but most do. The Stele was created by the Aramaeans to brag about the conquest of this area.
There is a temple/altar platform area where a large four horned altar stood, and perhaps the golden calf installed at Dan by Jeroboam. Evidence of cultic vessels and animal sacrifice were found in this area, some of which you can see at the Israel Museum.
The City of Dan’s demise occurred in the 730’s BC when Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria invaded and destroyed the city.
Tel Dan
