In 2012, a monumental Iron Age temple complex dating to the late 10th and early ninth centuries BCE was discovered at Tel Moẓa near Jerusalem by archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The site, identified as the biblical city of Moẓa, within the boundary of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:26), served as an administrative center for the storage and redistribution of grain.The discoveries at Tel Moza (Tel Motza, Tel Moẓa, Tel Moẓah) were first published by Shua Kisilevitz and Prof. Oded Lipschits in Biblical Archaeology Review last month.
In the spring of 2019, the first academic excavation of the site set out to fully unearth and study two cult buildings discovered one on top of the other at Tel Moẓa: The monumental temple complex built in the late 10th to early ninth centuries BCE, and a structure beneath it that has only partially been uncovered, tentatively dated to the 10th century BCE.
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"Could a monumental temple really exist in the heart of Judah, outside Jerusalem? Did Jerusalem know about it?" writes PhD student Kisilevitz. "If so, could this other temple possibly have been part of the Judahite administrative system? The Bible details the religious reforms of King Hezekiah and King Josiah, who consolidated worship practices to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, and eliminated cultic activity beyond its boundaries.
"However, our analysis of the archaeological finds and biblical texts clearly demonstrates that the temple at Moẓa conformed to ancient Near Eastern religious conventions and traditions and biblical depictions of cult places throughout the land. It has become clear that temples such as the one at Moẓa not only could but also must have existed throughout most of the Iron II period as part of the official, royally sanctioned religious construct."
"Despite the biblical narratives describing Hezekiah's and Josiah's reforms, there were sanctioned temples in Judah in addition to the official temple in Jerusalem," Prof. Lipschits adds. "Our discoveries thus far have fundamentally changed the way we understand the religious practices of Judahites."
The rich assemblage of cultic artifacts and architectural remains at the site — including human-shape figurines, horse figurines, a cult stand decorated with a pair of lions or sphinxes, a stone built altar, a stone-built offering table and a pit filled with ash and animal bones — provides an important opportunity to study the formation of cult and religion in the region at the time and provide a framework for the formation of the Kingdom of Judah.
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I noted mention of the excavation of the temple at Tel Moza several years ago here. For more on ancient horse figurines, see here and here.
The temple at Tel Motza has received some attention in the media. The most informative is the article by Amanda Borschel-Dan in the Times of Israel, which draws on an interview with Shua Kisilevitz (HT Joseph Lauer):
Revealed: In First Temple era, another massive temple was in use near Jerusalem. Large 10th century BCE worship complex being excavated at Motza in ancient Judah; 4 miles from Temple Mount, site was ‘sanctioned’ by Jerusalem administration, say archaeologists.
Some other media coverage:
TAU Dig Outside Jerusalem Unearths a Rival to King Solomon’s Temple (David Israel, The Jewish Press)
Biblical Israelites maintained cult practice in temples outside Jerusalem. Research conducted by Tel Aviv University and Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists shed new light on these cult practices thanks to new excavations at the site of a temple uncovered in 2012 (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post)
Ancient Place of Worship Found Near Jerusalem Challenges Assumptions About First Temple. At least the same size as Solomon’s Temple and resembling that structure’s description in the Bible, Motza temple was used for worship of both Yahweh and idols (Nir Hasson, Haaretz premium)
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