What historical evidence supports the tribute mentioned in 2 Chronicles 17:11? Passage Under Review 2 Chronicles 17:11 – “Some of the Philistines also brought Jehoshaphat gifts and a tribute of silver, and the Arabs brought him flocks – 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.” Chronological Framework Jehoshaphat reigned c. 873–848 BC. A conservative Usshur-style chronology places his reign only two generations after Asa and roughly a century before the fall of Samaria (722 BC). Archaeological strata that correspond are Iron IIa–IIb in Judah (10th–9th century BC). Political Landscape By Jehoshaphat’s day, Judah controlled much of the Shephelah. Philistine city-states such as Ashdod, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza were politically fragmented, with Gath already weakened (cf. Tell es-Safi/Gath destruction layer – early 9th century; Maeir, “Early Iron Age Gath”). Nomadic Arab tribes (likely Qedarite/Seirite coalitions) roamed south and east of Judah, trading livestock for metal goods and protection. 2 Chronicles 17:10 notes that “the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms,” providing theological motive for the political reality: Philistines and Arabs sought favor and security through tribute. Philistine Tribute in Extra-Biblical Texts While no extant inscription names Jehoshaphat specifically, three categories of evidence confirm that Philistine rulers routinely sent silver to stronger neighbors: 1. Tiglath-Pileser III Annals (COS 2.117) catalogue Philistine kings (“Mitinti of Ashkelon, Khānunu of Gaza”) remitting “silver, gold, lead” as madattu (tribute) to Assyria c. 734 BC. 2. Sargon II’s Display Inscription (ANET 286) lists “silver, gold, iron” from “the people of Philistia” in 711 BC. 3. Ashurbanipal Prism B lines 57-60 note “silver of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron” given “voluntarily.” These texts prove that silver tribute was standard Philistine diplomacy; Jehoshaphat’s receipt comfortably fits the pattern a century earlier. Archaeological Corroboration: Silver Flow Hacksilber hoards (bundles of cut silver) under Iron IIa–IIb levels at Tel Miqne-Ekron, Ashkelon, and Tell Qasile demonstrate a regional silver economy: • Tel Miqne Hoard B (stratum VI, 10th/9th cent.) – 26 kg of cut silver (Gitin, Dothan). • Ashkelon Hoard (stratum 9, late 10th cent.) – standardized crescent ingots (Stager, Master). Rapid outflow of silver from Philistia to nearby polities is archaeologically visible and situates Jehoshaphat’s tribute claim in known economic practice. Judahite Expansion and Fortification Evidence 2 Chronicles 17:2, 12 say Jehoshaphat “stationed troops in the fortified cities.” Fortresses dated by ceramic typology and radiocarbon to his horizon include: • Socoh (Khirbet el-Qom) – casemate walls re-laid mid-9th century. • Tel Burna – massive gate refurbishment Iron IIa. • Ramat Rahel – palace-fort combining administration and storage. These sites form a west-to-south arc that constrained Philistine movement and provided the military leverage which routinely extracted tribute. Arabian Livestock Tribute Parallels Arab gift of 7,700 rams/goats mirrors later Assyrian lists: • Tiglath-Pileser III, Year 8 annals: “Samsi the Arab … sent me 10,000 camels, 1,000 she-camels, 10,000 sheep” (COS 2.117 §15). • Sennacherib Prism A iii 41-52: “Hazû, king of the Arabs … 1,000 camels, 3,000 sheep.” Pastoralists paid in animals because herds were their portable wealth; the Chronicler’s numbers (7,700 / 7,700) reflect symmetrical counting typical of Near-Eastern accounting (cf. Ugaritic texts RS 16.148 listing “700 sheep, 700 goats” as šlm). Numismatic Consistency of the Figure “7,700” Ancient scribes favor numerically balanced totals (e.g., Job 1:3; Ezekiel 45:25). The double-seven motif underscores completeness while matching herd sizes attested in Old South Arabian quotas (al-Jallad, “Safaitic Pastoral Economy”). Thus, far from arbitrary, the Chronicler’s figure fits regional bookkeeping conventions. Internal Biblical Cross-References Philistine or Arab tribute to Judah recurs: • 2 Chron 26:8 – “The Ammonites also paid tribute to Uzziah.” • 2 Chron 21:16-17 – Arabs raid Jehoram when Judah is weak, the inverse scenario. • 2 Kings 3:4 – Mesha’s sheep-tax to Israel (100,000 lambs, 100,000 rams). Consistent internal testimony strengthens the historic likelihood of Jehoshaphat’s receipt when his kingdom was strong. Archaeological Silence Objection Answered Absence of an inscription naming Jehoshaphat is unsurprising: only c. 5 percent of ANE ostraca survive, and Philistine records were primarily on perishable materials. The Mekal Inscription of Ekron (7th cent.) surfaced only in 1996; excavation lag, not biblical error, explains our present gaps. Cumulative Evidential Force 1. Established Philistine pattern of silver tribute in royal inscriptions. 2. Silver hoards verifying the medium and volume of exchange. 3. Judahite fortresses confirming the military context. 4. Parallel Assyrian records of Arab flocks as diplomatic payment. 5. Internal biblical coherence and stable textual transmission. Taken together, the historical, archaeological, and textual data converge to substantiate the Chronicler’s claim that Philistines and Arabs rendered precisely the kinds of tribute 2 Chronicles 17:11 records during Jehoshaphat’s reign. Selected Christian Resources for Further Study • Kitchen, K.A., On the Reliability of the Old Testament. • Merrill, E.H., Kingdom of Priests. • Hoffmeier, J.K., Israel in Egypt and Ancient Israel in Sinai. • Associates for Biblical Research Field Reports on Iron Age Shephelah Fortresses. |
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