Summary: The discovery of a large burial site near Tlalim Junction suggests that trade caravans from Arabia, and even from as far away as Yemen, passed through the Land of Israel with goods including slaves.
Then Midianite traders passed by. And [Joseph’s brothers] drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. [The traders] took Joseph to Egypt. – Genesis 37:28 (ESV)
Negev Tombs for Trade Caravans
Burial tombs excavated in the Negev Highlands have brought forth a wealth of discoveries that provide insight into the ancient trade routes that connected Israel to the Near East from the 7th to 5th centuries BC, roughly the last century of the kingdom of Judah through the Persian period. These discoveries suggest the Negev was more than just a trade route, but a center of cultural and commercial exchange among several ancient civilizations, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
Archaeologists uncovered many artifacts including arrowheads, colorful stone beads, rare shells, copper and silver jewelry, alabaster vessels for incense, Egyptian-style scarabs and an amulet, among other items. Findings indicate that young women were among the goods being bought and sold. The great variety of discoveries are evidence that this previously unknown site was a place of burial and cultic rituals for trade caravans during Biblical times, said the IAA researchers.
Trade from Arabia to Europe
The tombs were found near the Tlalim Junction, about 22 miles south of Beersheba, according to the February press release from the Government Press Office. The site is about a day’s journey south from the border of the kingdom of Judah.
“The discovery is unique and points to wide-reaching cultural interchange between southern and northern Arabia, Phoenicia, Egypt and southern Europe,” said IAA excavation director Dr. Martin David Pasternak and IAA senior researcher and Negev expert Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini.
Unlike traditional burial places located near population centers, these tombs were isolated. They were not “near any sites, settlements or fortresses that could explain their presence,” said the researchers. However, being “situated at a central junction of roads leading through the Negev Highlands to the Arava” led researchers to speculate the site may have been a long-term burial ground for passing caravans.
One of the roads connected to the major trade route junction is the Darb es-Sultan or King’s Highway that in the western part of Jordan runs north-south, a path caravans were required to use for tax purposes. Another ancient track that meets at the crossroads comes from Egypt, goes through the oasis of the traditional site of Kadesh Barnea near the modern Egypt-Israel border, then enters into the Negev Highlands.
Eventually, the track turns toward the southeast and goes across the “Big Crater” to the “very important landmark” road called the Scorpion’s Ascent, spoken of a number of times in the Hebrew Bible, according to Erickson-Gini. The road then makes its way south to the copper mines of Feynan, Jordan.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders), your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall run from the end of the Salt Sea on the east. And your border shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, [Scorpions] and cross to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon. – Numbers 34:1-4
Human Trafficking of Girls
The mass grave site contained close to 60 individuals buried one on top of another, along with their precious stones and jewelry. A relatively large group of young women aged 14-20 were unearthed with another group of men aged 30-40. No children or babies were found. Researchers suspect the girls were being traded or bought.
In antiquity, human trafficking, especially of women, was common. Many texts from the period describe transactions of human property. Historical writings from the Minaeans, traders from Yemen, tell of the purchase of women from regions including Gaza, Egypt, Greece, Moab, and Edom. An inscription found in Yemen lists 30 women purchased in Gaza, most likely bought to be temple prostitutes.
Among the tomb complex, artifacts were found that most likely belonged to women such as jewelry, a mirror, and an Egyptian amulet depicting the god Bes, who was believed to protect women and children. Another telling find was that of ten very large, fist-sized cowrie shells. Shells like these have been found in temples of female deities. In light of the presence of these particular artifacts and others, researchers believe that many of the deceased were women, part of the human trafficking of the trade caravans.
Yemen Arrowheads
Archaeologists also unearthed over 40 unused microliths or flint arrowheads at the site. According to Erickson-Gini, they may have been used for divination instead of hunting, as the Bible speaks about in Ezekiel.
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way [mother of the road], at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim [household gods]; he looks at the liver. – Ezekiel 21:21
“The unique concentration of flint artifacts uncovered in the site are unparalleled in Israel and the only source that we know of is Yemen and Oman,” said IAA flint tools expert Dr. Jacob Vardi. This provides evidence that some of the caravans were from as far as modern-day Yemen, over 60 miles away.
The arrowheads were painted with a rare red ochre dye. “The presence of ochre on these arrowheads may indicate their religious or cultic significance as having special value,” said Vardi. Red dye was used in ancient cultures for decoration and as a symbol for blood.
Alabaster Jars and Biblical Connections
Alabaster vessels, a type found in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in southern Arabia, dating from the 8th century to the 3rd-2nd centuries BC, were also discovered at the site, said Erickson-Gini. They were likely used to transport resin of myrrh and frankincense used to make incense. According to historians, alabaster was the best material for storing perfumes as it preserved their quality the longest.
The Bible records that spice was traded between southern Arabia [Sheba] and the kingdom of Judah in the 7th century BC. This was during the time of the prophet Jeremiah who quoted God as saying, “What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land?” (Jer. 6:20). These spices would have most likely passed through the vital Tlalim Junction with the traders who made use of the tomb complex.
The prophet Ezekiel also lived while this burial place was in use but after Judah had fallen. In Ezekiel 27:22, he wrote to the city of Tyre (a major Phoenician center), “The traders of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold.”
Phoenician-style artifacts were found among the tombs, indicating the existence of this trade between Tyre and the spice traders of Sheba (southern Arabia). Dozens of beads were also found, made from “precious stones.” Overall, the discovery of these tombs matches with the Bible’s description of trade ventures between Near Eastern kingdoms in the 7th to 5th centuries BC.
Conclusion
“This is one of the most interesting sites we have encountered,” remarked Pasternak and Erickson-Gini. “The structures and variety of finds indicate that the Negev was not merely a passage for international travel but a vibrant meeting place for merchants and cultures.”
IAA Director Eli Escusido stated, “This discovery underscores the Negev’s central role in antiquity as an international crossroads and a cultural meeting point. It allows us to connect with significant historical moments of those who traversed this desert centuries ago. Multi-disciplinary research will enhance our understanding of the cultural and economic dynamics in the region thousands of years ago.”
Keep Thinking!
TOP PHOTO: Aerial view of the IAA excavation. (Emil Aladjem, IAA)
