Absalom in Archaeology (Part 2)

Skeptics have tried to disprove the Bible’s historicity, including the account of Israel’s King David, in many ways. Thankfully, archaeology provides tangible evidence that silences these false claims. We will now analyze the support for the biblical narrative in part two of our series on David’s son Absalom.

Near the Golan Heights town of Hispin, archaeologists discovered the remains of a fortress that is believed to have been part of the Geshurite kingdom, which controlled this area as an ally of King David.¹ Inside the fortress, a large stone was found engraved with two horned figures with outstretched arms next to a stone table, which seems to have been an altar. These etchings are strikingly similar to the stele of the bull-headed moon god discovered at Geshur, implying that the sites were connected both politically and spiritually.

During his exile, Absalom may have spent time at this distant Geshurite fortress. If Absalom lived in harmony with the pagan Geshurites, he may have been influenced by this cult. Such insights from the ancient Near Eastern context of Absalom help reveal his true nature and character. To be sure, the biblical narratives do not depict him as a spiritual man but one filled with vengeance; murder; and deception, which led to his revolt against his father, the Lord’s anointed.

After Absalom’s revolt, he was killed in battle; and his daughter Maachah (named after his Geshurite mother) married Solomon’s son Rehoboam and produced the next heir to the throne of Judah: King Abijam (1 Ki. 15:1–2). Interestingly, her grandson Asa deposed her for introducing idol worship to Judah, possibly that of the same Geshurite moon-god (v. 13).

But what of the memorial to Absalom mentioned in 2 Samuel 18:18 and the well-known rock-cut structure in the Kidron Valley that has been called “Absalom’s Tomb” for centuries? In Jewish tradition, this identification has led residents to throw stones at the tomb as a warning to rebellious sons. The archaeological evidence shows that this tomb was fashioned during the 1st century AD, approximately 1,000 years after Absalom’s death.

The foremost Israeli authority on tombs in Jerusalem, Gabriel Barkay, has argued that “Absalom’s Tomb” was most likely the tomb of Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great.² Moreover, the biblical account says that Absalom had set up a “pillar for himself” to “keep [his] name in remembrance” (2 Sam. 18:18). Scripture does not state that he built a tomb.³ Absalom was killed in the woods north of Jerusalem in the tribal allotment of Ephraim (vv. 6–15). He was denied a royal burial and simply thrown in a pit covered with a heap of stones (v. 17).

In the case of Absalom, archaeology has provided the ancient context that adds historical dimension to the biblical narrative. It also helps separate history from tradition so that the biblical account may demonstrate that the figure of Absalom has been reliably revealed in sacred Scripture.

If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.

ENDNOTES

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Christopher Eames, “Davidic-Era Fortress Discovered on the Golan Heights,” Armstrong Biblical Institute of Technology, November 10, 2020 (tinyurl.com/GeshurFortress).
            2. “The Mystery of ‘Absalom’s Tomb’—Part 2,” Bible Reading Archaeology, June 3, 2016 (tinyurl.com/AbsalomTomb).
            3. While we do not know where this monument is today, 1st-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus reported that Absalom’s Monument was “two stades [370 meters; 1,214 feet] distant from Jerusalem” (Jewish Antiquities, VII, 243 [x, 3]).