Archaeologists with the Associates for Biblical Research (ABR) have turned their attention in the 2025 excavation season to a newly identified breached gateway at Tel Shiloh, which they believe may align with the biblical account in 1 Samuel 4, when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. Project director Scott Stripling and ABR president Scott Lanser suggest this site could be where Eli, the high priest, collapsed and died after receiving the devastating news. Excavators are currently clearing layers of mud-brick collapse to reveal what appears to be a multi-chambered Iron Age gate, potentially similar in design to those found at Megiddo and Hazor. These findings, if verified, could provide a tangible backdrop to one of the Bible’s most dramatic narratives.

Despite logistical challenges—ranging from a Houthi missile strike that disrupted travel to a temporary site evacuation triggered by a security alert—the excavation has made significant progress. By late June, the site was fully staffed, and a conservation shelter had been erected to preserve the exposed gate before winter rains. The team is also raising funds to establish an on-site lab, which would allow for more immediate analysis of soil and material samples, potentially accelerating the publication of peer-reviewed results. While final confirmation awaits further testing, the team maintains that the gate’s strategic location and dating provide compelling evidence linking it to the Ark narrative and Shiloh’s role as Israel’s early spiritual center.

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SOURCE: Jerusalem Post