Shiloh

Also known as Kh. Seilun, Seilun, Shillo, Shilo

Shiloh from west

The portable shrine that Moses built in the wilderness was stationed at Shiloh from the time of the Conquest until the city's apparent destruction by the Philistines in 1104 B.C.

Psalm 78:60 (NIV) "He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men."

Summit of Shiloh

Excavations at the site have found significant remains from the Middle Bronze, Late Bronze and Iron I.  

In the time before the Israelites, the city was strongly fortified with a massive wall and glacis.  After the Israelites settled here, the site was unfortified; Iron Age residences were found built into the earlier fortifications.

Location of Tabernacle

Israel Finkelstein believes that the tabernacle was on the summit of the tell, but Asher Kaufman argues that there is not enough room given the tabernacle dimensions.  

Wilson identified a "sort of level court" in 1873, 400 ft long and 77 feet wide, much bigger than any other level spot on the summit.  "There is no other level space sufficiently large to receive a tent of the dimensions of the Tabernacle."

Related Websites

Byzantine Church Excavations (BiblePlaces Blog)  Commentary on news article about the recent discovery.  Includes numerous photos.

Shilo: Israel's First Capital The official, but currently-defunct, site for Tel Shilo.  Communicates the importance the site as a resting place for the tabernacle.  Also highlights important archaeological discoveries, including unique pictures of mosaic floors found.  

Shiloh (Walking in Their Sandals)  Gives easy-to-read information on the location, biblical significance, etc.  Features links to photographs and on-line scripture references. 

Shiloh (Christian Travel Study Program)  Features several good pictures with excellent identifying captions, accompanied by text highlighting interesting features of the region.

Shiloh (ChristianAnswers.net)  Briefly describes the origin of the word, in addition to the basic biblical facts about the site.

Shiloh (Camp S'dei Chemed International)  Expresses the significance of Shiloh in history and the practices of modern day Judaism.  Employs the use of many transliterated Hebrew terms.

How Shilo Came to Be (Shilo, Jewish Community in the Land of Israel)  A brief description of historic Shilo by the modern community living in the region.  Includes links to information about Shilo today, the people of Shilo, housing, photos, etc.