Eglon (Hebrew: עֶגְלוֹן) was a Canaanite city-state mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, with no direct reference in other historical non-Biblical sources available from that time (like the Amarna letters). According to the Book of Joshua, Debir, king of Eglon, joined a confederation against Gibeon when that city made peace with Israel. The five kings involved were slain and Eglon was later conquered and its inhabitants condemned to destruction. It was thereafter included in the territory of the Tribe of Judah, although it is not mentioned outside of the Book of Joshua.[1]
According to archaeologist Avraham Faust, most scholars identify the location of Eglon with the site of Tel 'Eton.[2]
Tel 'Eton
edit| Tel 'Eton | |
|---|---|
  Location of Tel 'Eton in Israel | |
| 31°29′23″N 34°55′42″E / 31.4897°N 34.9284°E | |
| Periods |
|
| Cultures | |
| Location | Southern District, Israel |
| Region | Southern Levant |
| History | |
| Abandoned | Assyrian destruction, late 8th century BCE[5] |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Avraham Faust (2006-2026 and ongoing) |
Tel 'Eton (Hebrew: תל עיטון; sometimes spelled Tel Eton[3]), also known as 'Aaton,[4] is an archaeological site 6 miles southeast of Lachish and 23 miles southeast of Ashkelon excavated since 2006 and ongoing as of 2026, by Avraham Faust of Bar Ilan University.[3][6] It is the probable site of ancient Eglon, but no direct reference of the name have been found. The site of Tel Eton was transformed in the 10th century BCE, and some of the structures built in this site involved ashlar in construction. Prior to these findings, the lack of ashlar construction in this period in the region of Judah was an "oftquoted evidence against the historical plausibility of a kingdom centered in Judah".[7] The archaeologist William G. Dever estimates its population at around 1,200 during the 9th and 8th centuries BCE.[8]
In the late 8th century BCE, the city, including the governor's residence, appears to have been destroyed by the Assyrian army.[5][8]
Abandoned for almost four centuries, the tell (archaeological mound) was resettled in about the fourth century BCE, when a village and a fortified structure were erected at its top.[4] The new settlement was again abandoned within a century, this time for good.[4]
References
edit- ↑ van Bekkum, Koert (2011). From Conquest to Coexistence: Ideology and Antiquarian Intent in the Historiography of Israel's Settlement in Canaan. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV. p. 158. ISBN 978-90-04-19480-9..
- ↑ Faust, Avraham (2017). "Tel 'Eton Excavations and the History of the Shephelah during the Iron Age". In Greenspahn, Frederick E.; Rendsburg, Gary A. (eds.). Le-maʿan Ziony: Essays in Honor of Ziony Zevit. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-4982-0691-4.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Digs: Tel Eton". Biblical Archaeology Society. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Schuster, Ruth (16 June 2026). "Fallen Standing Stone Built Into Later House May Show King Hezekiah Reform". Haaretz. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- 1 2 Faust, Avraham (2026). "Hezekiah's Reform? A View from Tel 'Eton on the Religious Development in Judah" (PDF). Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology. 9. Hebrew University of Jerusalem: 31–60. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ "Proof of King David? Not yet. But riveting site shores up roots of Israelite era". Times of Israel. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- ↑ Faust, Avraham, and Yair Sapir. "The “Governor’s Residency” at Tel ‘Eton, the united monarchy, and the impact of the old-house effect on large-scale archaeological reconstructions." Radiocarbon 60.3 (2018): 801-820.
- 1 2 Dever, William G. (2017). Beyond the Texts: an archaeological portrait of ancient Israel and Judah. Atlanta: SBL Press. pp. 393, 562. ISBN 978-0-88414-218-8.
 | This article about a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |