The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project

The Weekly Find

May 7th, 2009	These Phallic Vessels were found in Area A at Tell es-Safi Gath.  The Vessels are decorated in typical fashion for the Iron Age II Philistine culture - red background with black and white stripes.  The vessels were most likely part of the Philistine cult, linking them with the Aegean cultic practice of this kind.  They may also be what the Biblical term "Ofalim" refers to.
April 1st, 2009	While no longer the prominent site of Gath of the Philistines, the site of Tell es-Safi is shown on the Madaba Map.  The site is named Safitta - a name preserved until today.  While not found at the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations, the presence of Safi is certainly of interest to Saffittes, especially those dealing with the later periods.
March 24th, 2009	This is one example of many figurines discovered at Tell es-Safi/Gath.  This figurine dates to the Late Bronze Age, when they became very common, and are found in almost every home of the period.  While various suggestions have been made as to what they portray, it seems that these figurines are linked with a goddess of fertility.
March 11th, 2009	The scarab on the left was found in the second season of excavations.  This scarab dates to the end of the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age and depicts a deity with a human body and a falcon's head.  To the right of the deity is the name of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmosis III.
March 1st, 2009	The Chalice on the left dates to the Iron Age IIA (9th Century BCE) and was likely used for ceremonial drinking, or for burning incense.  Several of these chalices were discovered at Tell es-Safi/Gath.  The vessels are intricately decorated with red and black paint on a white background, as well as pedals added on to the stem.
January 1st, 2009	This small amulet was found in a burial cave at Tell es-Safi/Gath in the 2006 season, dating to the late Iron Age I-early Iron Age II.  The figure depicted is Sekhmet, the warrior goddess of Upper Egypt.