Ancient Seal May Help Substantiate Legend of Samson Say Researchers

Posted on August 13, 2012

Tel Aviv University researchers recently uncovered a 12th century BCE seal depicting a man and lion in battle. The half-inch (15 millimeter) seal was found at the archaeological site of Beth Shemesh, located between the Biblical cities of Zorah and Eshtaol. Beth Shemesh is where Samson was born, live, and was finally buried, according to the book of Judges.

The seal depicts a human figure next to a lion. Samson's adventures included a victory in hand-to-paw combat with a lion. In another tale, Samson is said to have killed 1,000 Philistines with a single donkey's jaw bone. The seal was discovered with other finds on the floor of an excavated house, dated by the archaeologists to the 12th century BCE.

Prof. Shlomo Bunimovitz of TAU's Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations says the seal helps "anchor the story in an archaeological setting." Prof. Bunimovitz co-directs the Beth Shemesh dig along with Dr. Zvi Lederman.

The area of Beth Shemesh was a cultural meeting point where Philistines, Canaanites, and Israelites lived in close proximity, maintaining separate identities and cultures. Dr. Lederman says Samson's stories skip across these cultural borders. Although he was from the Israelite tribe of Dan, Samson is frequently depicted stepping out into the world of the Philistines. Samson even searched for a Philistine wife, much to the chagrin of his parents.

Dr. Lederman calls Samson's stories "border sagas." On one hand, Samsom could cross the border and interact with the Philistines, but on the other, he met with danger and various challenges when he did stray out of his home territory. Lederman says, "When you cross the border, you have to fight the enemy and you encounter dangerous animals. You meet bad things. These are stories of contact and conflict, of a border that is more cultural than political."

ARCHAEOLOGY