{"id":2333,"date":"2019-12-09T10:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T17:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=2333"},"modified":"2020-04-26T00:38:06","modified_gmt":"2020-04-26T07:38:06","slug":"jordan-research-trip-post-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=2333","title":{"rendered":"Jordan Research Trip, Post #3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Peniel \/ Penuel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traveling southward from Haran (cf. Genesis 27:43), Jacob fled from Laban with Rachel and Leah to the hills of Gilead (Genesis 31:21). After Laban caught up with Jacob and they settled some of their differences (Genesis 31:22\u201355), Jacob moved on to meet his brother Esau in Edom (Genesis 32:1\u20135). However, Jacob\u2019s messengers to Esau returned with word Esau was coming to meet Jacob. In fear Jacob divided all his retinue and goods, sending them on ahead of him in three groups with the hope he might appease Esau\u2019s anger with gifts (Genesis 32:6\u201321). Keeping his wives and children with him, Jacob spent the night along the Jabbok River (modern Nahr ez-Zerqa) and forded it the following day (Genesis 32:22\u201323). Jacob then remained alone beside the Jabbok and wrestled with God all night (Genesis 32:24\u201329). The event changed Jacob physically and spiritually\u2014as well as providing him with a new name, Israel. Taking into account his unusual encounter with God, Jacob named the place Peniel (\u201cthe face of God\u201d\u2014the same location is also called Penuel). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jabbok River looking downstream from the western slope of Peniel’s tell <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Peniel (Genesis 32)\u2014Tell edh-Dhahab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

No town existed at Peniel in Jacob\u2019s day, but people established a town on a hill nearby overlooking the Jabbok. When Gideon battled the Midianites, he pursued Zebah and Zalmunna (Midianite kings) past Succoth (perhaps modern Deir Alla) and Peniel \/ Penuel (Judges 8:8\u201317). Each of these cities failed to give provisions to Gideon and his troops, incurring his anger. Upon his return from capturing the fleeing kings, Gideon fulfilled his promise to the inhabitants of Penuel and wreaked destruction on the town. Jeroboam I (930\u2013909 BC) rebuilt Penuel and fortified it (1 Kings 12:25). The photo below shows part of the city wall (vertical) and the glacis (militarily engineered slope, which would be covered with limestone plaster, to hinder attackers and expose them to the defenders positioned above them on the walls and towers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Peniel city wall with glacis below<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Peniel city wall and part of a tower (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Archaeologists have identified Peniel with Tell edh-Dhahab (\u201cthe hill of gold\u201d). Excavators found remains from the Late Bronze Age (1550\u20131200 BC), Iron Age I (1200\u20131000 BC), and Iron Age II (1000\u2013586 BC) at this site. During our brief hike to the top of the tell and exploration of the site, we saw a block of limestone pierced with a hole (perhaps as a base for an olive press), a basalt grinding stone, and the capital of a pillar among the partially excavated walls of the buildings on the western side of the tell and on its acropolis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Possible limestone base for olive press, Peniel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Pieces of a basalt grinding stone (for grains and spices)–found at Peniel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Pillar capital, Peniel acropolis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The tell provides a beautiful view of the upper Jabbok River canyon near sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Peniel \/ Penuel Traveling southward from Haran (cf. Genesis 27:43), Jacob fled from Laban with Rachel and Leah to the hills of Gilead (Genesis 31:21). After Laban caught up with Jacob and they settled some of their differences (Genesis 31:22\u201355), Jacob moved on to meet his brother Esau in Edom (Genesis 32:1\u20135). However, Jacob\u2019s messengers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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