Biblical Archaeology Review

See Duncan Mackenzie, “Excavations at Ain Shems (Beth-Shemesh),” Palestine Exploration Fund Annual 2 (1912–1913), pp. 86–88, pl. 54:13; J.H. Iliffe, Palestine Archaeological Museum, Gallery Book, Iron Age (Israelite Period) (Jerusalem, 1940), p. 55, no. 518.

Oren, “The ‘Ways of Horus,’” pp. 94–96.

Eliezer D. Oren, “The ‘Ways of Horus’ in North Sinai,” in Egypt, Israel, Sinai: Archaeological and Historical Relationships in the Biblical Period, ed. Anson F. Rainey (Tel Aviv, 1987), p. 95.

Amihai Mazar, “The Emergence of the Philistine Material Culture,” Israel Exploration Journal 35 (1985), p. 97.

For instance, the Israel Stela records the destruction of Ashkelon and Gezer around the fifth year of Merneptah (1207 B.C.). It would not be easy in decide whether a destruction level at one of these sites should be attributed to this pharaoh or the Philistines some 30 years later.

Propinquity in the location of the two battles is strongly suggested by both the pictorial and textual descriptions, such as the following passage: “Those who came forward together on the sea, the full flame was in front of them at the river-mouths, while a stockade of lances surrounded them on the shore” (Wilson, ANET, pp. 262–263).

John A. Wilson (transl.), “Egyptian Historical Texts,” in Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (ANET), 3rd. ed., ed. James B. Pritchard (Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 1969), p. 262, n. 6.