14C Results from Megiddo, Tel Dor, Tel Reḥov and Tel Hadar: Where do they lead us?

Radiocarbon dating of Iron Age strata from key sites in the southern Levant reveals significant discrepancies between conventional and Low Chronology systems, challenging established historical timelines. Analysis of short-lived samples from Megiddo, Tel Dor, Tel Rehov, and Tel Hadar indicates that destruction horizons previously linked to events like Pharaoh Shoshenq I's campaign (ca. 1000 BCE) or Aram Damascus' assault (ca. 835 BCE) may require re-evaluation. The study, leveraging AMS and conventional radiometric methods across multiple laboratories, demonstrates consistency in measurements but highlights the need for refined chronological models to avoid biases from long-lived samples. These findings have implications for biblical history and archaeology, suggesting a more nuanced approach to dating than previously assumed.

(Ed.). (2014). 14C Results from Megiddo, Tel Dor, Tel Reḥov and Tel Hadar: Where do they lead us? The Bible and Radiocarbon Dating, 306–313. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315711294-27