Archaeologists from the University of Haifa have uncovered the earliest evidence of bronze production in the Southern Levant, dating back about 3,000 years, in a site that might have been part of the early Israelite kingdom. The find could offer fresh insights into the formative years of the biblical polity, suggesting advanced metallurgical knowledge and involvement in international trade networks.

A paper published in the prominent journal PLOS ONE earlier this month focuses on metal items from el-Ahwat, a site roughly 20 kilometers east of Caesarea at the edge of the Central Hill Country, or ancient Samaria, long considered by the Bible and many scholars as part of the early Israelite territory.

Through microscopic and chemical analysis of smelting residues, the researchers provided direct proof of on-site bronze production in the early part of the Iron Age (12th-10th century BCE). They also found that the copper used in the creation of the bronze alloy had been imported from the Arava desert region, matching ores from both Timna (near Eilat) and Faynan (in present-day Jordan).

“This is the first time we prove that bronze was not only used or recycled, but also produced from scratch in this region,” Dr. Tzilla Eshel, one of the paper’s authors, told The Times of Israel over the phone. “This opens up a whole new world.”

The team is still working to determine the site’s exact age, but current evidence points to the late 11th or early 10th century BCE, a period some scholars associate with the reigns of biblical David and Solomon over a powerful kingdom. Others argue that no such kingdom existed, or that it was merely a small, loosely organized chiefdom centered around Jerusalem.

The ability to produce bronze reflects far greater technological sophistication than many scholars previously believed had existed in the cradle of the early Israelites, potentially strengthening the claim that a complex and powerful political entity existed.

However, debates over the existence and strength of the so-called “United Monarchy” of David and Solomon often center on the cultural identity of sites from the period — whether 10th-century settlements with monumental architecture or signs of a sophisticated society were part of the early Israelite realm or instead belonged to one of its neighboring peoples.

This is true in the case of the bronze production uncovered at el-Ahwat, according to Eshel.

“We now understand that a network that imported copper from the Arava to produce bronze in an urban center in the central part of the country existed,” Eshel said. “Now we have to ask ourselves how this was possible. Was there a polity organizing the network? And if so, who was the polity? One possibility is that it was the early Israelites.”

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