In a Ruined Copper Works, Evidence That Bolsters a Doubted Biblical Tale

From tomorrow's Science Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/13/science/13edom.html

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Published: June 13, 2006
In biblical lore, Edom was the implacable adversary and menacing
neighbor of the Israelites. The Edomites lived south of the Dead Sea
and east of the desolate rift valley known as Wadi Arabah, and from
time to time they had to be dealt with by force, notably by the likes
of Kings David and Solomon.

Today, the Edomites are again in the thick of combat — of the
scholarly kind. The conflict is heated and protracted, as is often the
case with issues related to the reliability of the Bible as history.

Chronology is at the crux of the debate. Exactly when did the nomadic
tribes of Edom become an organized society with the might to threaten
Israel? Were David and Solomon really kings of a state with growing
power in the 10th century B.C.? Had writers of the Bible magnified the
stature of the two societies at such an early time in history?

An international team of archaeologists has recorded radiocarbon dates
that they say show the tribes of Edom may have indeed come together in
a cohesive society as early as the 12th century B.C., certainly by the
10th. The evidence was found in the ruins of a large copper-processing
center and fortress at Khirbat en-Nahas, in the lowlands of what was
Edom and is now part of Jordan.
Received on Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:14:26 -0600