Specialized Production: Industry and Agriculture

Abstract

Archaeology has uncovered the remains of a number of Israelite industrial centers that flourished in the eighth and seventh centuries. (Many of these excavated sites are shown in figure 2–1.) The area around Samaria produced pottery; Debir (or Tell Beit Mirsim) seems to have specialized in woolen textiles; Lachish and Beth-shemesh produced olive oil (Burrows 1941, p. 173); Gibeon made wine, and Elath (or Tell el-Kheleifeh) smelted iron and copper. Tell ‘Erani in the eastern part of the coastal plain possessed industrial installations that may have been used in the manufacture of cheese (Yeivin 1975, pp. 93–4; 1 Sam. 17:18¹ seems to refer to cheese). Hazor, Megiddo, Mizpah (or Tell en-Nasbeh), and Arad, among others, were also important but, it would seem, more diversified centers of industry.