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Coordinates: 31°29′56″N 35°47′8″E / 31.49889°N 35.78556°E / 31.49889; 35.78556
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{{More footnotes|date=May 2019}}
{{More footnotes|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Dhiban
|official_name = Dhiban
|other_name =
|other_name =
|native_name = {{lang|ar|ذيبان}}
|native_name = {{lang|ar|ذيبان}}
|nickname =
|nickname =
|settlement_type = City
|settlement_type = City
<!-- images and maps ----------->
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|image_skyline = Dhiban.jpg
|image_skyline = Dhiban.jpg
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|imagesize = 250px
|image_caption = Ancient Dhiban with modern settlement in the background, looking south
|image_caption = Ancient Dhiban with modern settlement in the background, looking south
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⚫
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|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{JOR}}
|subdivision_name = {{JOR}}
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|subdivision_name1 = [[Madaba Governorate]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Madaba Governorate]]
|government_type = Municipality
|government_type = Municipality
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = Salim Hawawsheh
|leader_name = Salim Hawawsheh
|established_title = Founded <!-- Settled -->
|established_title = Founded <!-- Settled -->
|established_date = 2000 B.C.
|established_date = 2000 BC
|area_magnitude = 1 E8
|area_total_km2 = 10.24
|area_metro_km2 = 20.35
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|population_footnotes = <ref>[http://www.mma.gov.jo/MunicipalDB/rptMunicipalOrganization.aspx Ministry of Municipal Affairs]</ref>
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|timezone =[[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]] +2
|population_metro = 13,043
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|population_footnotes = <ref>[http://www.mma.gov.jo/MunicipalDB/rptMunicipalOrganization.aspx Ministry of Municipal Affairs]</ref>
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'''Dhiban''', ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: {{lang|ar|ذيبان}} ''Ḏiʾbān'') known to the [[Moab|Moabites]] as '''Dibon''' ([[Moabite language|Moabite]]: {{lang|obm|𐤃𐤉𐤁𐤍}} {{transl|obm|DYBN}}; [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: {{lang|he|דִּיבוֹן|rtl=yes}} ''Dīḇōn''), is a [[Jordan]]ian town located in [[Madaba Governorate]], approximately 70 kilometres south of [[Amman]] and east of the [[Dead Sea]]. Previously nomadic, the modern community settled the town in the 1950s. Dhiban's current population is about 15,000, with many working in the army, government agencies, or in seasonal agricultural production. A number of young people study in nearby universities in [[Al Karak|Karak]], [[Madaba]], and [[Amman]]. Most inhabitants practice [[Islam]].
'''Dhiban''', ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: {{lang|ar|ذيبان}} ''Ḏiʾbān'') known to the [[Moab|Moabites]] as '''Dibon''' ([[Moabite language|Moabite]]: {{lang|obm|𐤃𐤉𐤁𐤍}} {{transl|obm|*Ḏaybōn}};{{sfn|Lipiński|2006|page=333}}{{sfn|Weippert|2010|page=243}}{{sfn|Porter|Routledge|Steen|al-Kawamlha|2016|page=317}} [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: {{lang|he|דִּיבוֹן|rtl=yes}} ''Dīḇōn''),{{efn|
In {{bibleverse||Isaiah|15–16|HE}} it is thought it is referred to as '''Dimon'''<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=lcckAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA68 p. 68]</ref>
}} is a [[Jordan]]ian town located in [[Madaba Governorate]], approximately 70 kilometres south of [[Amman]] and east of the [[Dead Sea]]. Previously nomadic, the modern community settled the town in the 1950s. Dhiban's current population is about 15,000, with many working in the army, government agencies, or in seasonal agricultural production. A number of young people study in nearby universities in [[Al Karak|Karak]], [[Madaba]], and [[Amman]]. Most inhabitants practise [[Islam]].


==History==
==History==
The ancient settlement lies adjacent to the modern town. Excavations have revealed that the site was occupied intermittently over the past 5,000 years, its earliest occupation occurring in the Early Bronze Age in the third millennium BC. The site's extensive settlement history is in part due to its location on the [[King's Highway (Ancient)|King's Highway]], a major commercial route in antiquity. The majority of evidence for this population is concentrated in a 15 hectare tall. The release of the [[Mesha Stele|Mesha Inscription]] in 1868 led to an upsurge in visitors to the town (including tourists and scholars) due to its ostensible confirmation of biblical passages.
The ancient settlement lies adjacent to the modern town. Excavations have revealed that the site was occupied intermittently over the past 5,000 years, its earliest occupation occurring in the Early Bronze Age in the third millennium BC. The site's extensive settlement history is in part due to its location on the [[King's Highway (Ancient)|King's Highway]], a major commercial route in antiquity. The majority of evidence for this population is concentrated in a 15-hectare tel. The release of the [[Mesha Stele|Mesha Inscription]] in 1868 led to an upsurge in visitors to the town (including tourists and scholars) due to its ostensible confirmation of biblical passages.


===Bronze Age===
===Bronze Age===
The first substantial settlement at Dhiban's tell was during the Early Bronze Age. Archaeological evidence for a habitation of the tell between the Early Bronze Age and Iron Age has not yet been found. However, the disturbed archaeological context at the site means that this might not be definitive. Dhiban might correspond with the town “Tpn” or “Tbn” found in Egyptian texts from the reigns of Thutmoses III, Amenhotep III, and Rameses II.
The first substantial settlement at Dhiban's tel was during the Early Bronze Age. Archaeological evidence for a habitation of the tel between the Early Bronze Age and Iron Age has not yet been found. However, the disturbed archaeological context at the site means that this might not be definitive. Dhiban might correspond with the town “Tpn” or “Tbn” found in Egyptian texts from the reigns of Thutmoses III, Amenhotep III, and Rameses II.


===Dhiban and the Israelites===
===Dhiban and the Israelites===
According to the [[Hebrew Bible|Bible]], the [[Israelites]] stopped at Dhiban during [[the Exodus]]. The Bible mentions "Divon" ({{lang-he|דִּיבֹן}}), or "Divon Gad" ({{Script/Hebrew|דִּיבֹן גָּד}}) because the city was said to have been occupied by the [[tribe of Gad]]. The name in Biblical Hebrew means ''wasting'' or ''pining''.
The Bible calls the city "Divon" ({{langx|he|דִּיבֹן}}), or "Divon Gad" ({{Script/Hebrew|דִּיבֹן גָּד}}) because the city was said to have been occupied by the [[tribe of Gad]]. The name in Biblical Hebrew means ''wasting'' or ''pining''.


According to the Bible, the city was conquered by the [[Amorites|Amorite]] king [[Sihon]] from the [[Moab|Moabites]]. Later, it fell into the hands of the [[Israelites]] and was allocated to either Gad or Reuben. According to the [[Mesha Stele]] found at the site, [[Mesha]], a [[Moab]]ite king from the 9th century BC, ruled from Dhiban, as his father did 30 years before him. So it was probably a Moabite town from at least the late 10th century BC. Biblical texts suggest that Dhiban remained under Moabite control until the end of the Iron Age. Archaeological excavations conducted in the 1950s revealed settlements dating back to the Early Bronze Age, as well as structures from the Iron Age. However, in the early sixth century BC, Dhiban suffered destruction at the hands of the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Babylonians]] and remained uninhabited until Roman times.<ref name=":022">{{Cite book |last=Lemche |first=Niels Peter |title=Historical dictionary of ancient Israel |date=2004 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-4848-1 |series=Historical dictionaries of ancient civilizations and historical eras |location=Lanham, Md. |pages=100 |quote=}}</ref>
{{ExodusStation|[[Iye Abarim]]|[[Almon Diblathaim]]}}

According to the [[Mesha Stele]] found at the site, [[Mesha]], a [[Moab]]ite king from the 9th century BCE, expelled the Israelites and established ancient Dhiban as an important settlement in the kingdom of Moab.


===Mesha and the Iron Age Moabite Kingdom===
===Mesha and the Iron Age Moabite Kingdom===
The Mesha Inscription connected Dhiban with the biblical “Dibon” as well as implying that it was the capital of Mesha, a prominent [[Moab]]ite king from the 9th century BCE, though its role in Mesha's reign has not been confirmed. In the Iron IIb period Dhiban underwent at least three large building projects. The tall was artificially enlarged during this period and included several new architectural features, including retaining walls, towers, and a monumental city wall. The building dates of these features have not been confirmed, but might be somewhere between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE. These large buildings appear to have been abandoned in the Iron IIc period. The site also featured a large necropolis to the northeast of the tall. This contained multi-generational burials with corresponding funerary offerings, and one had a clay coffin with an anthropomorphic lid. The necropolis appears to be contemporary with these building projects.
The Mesha Inscription connected Dhiban with the biblical “Dibon” as well as implying that it was the capital of Mesha, a prominent [[Moab]]ite king from the 9th century BCE, though its role in Mesha's reign has not been confirmed. In the Iron IIb period, Dhiban underwent at least three large building projects. The tel was artificially enlarged during this period and included several new architectural features, including retaining walls, towers, and a monumental city wall. The building dates of these features have not been confirmed, but might be somewhere between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE. These large buildings appear to have been abandoned in the Iron IIc period. The site also featured a large necropolis to the northeast of the tel. This contained multi-generational burials with corresponding funerary offerings, and one had a clay coffin with an anthropomorphic lid. The necropolis appears to be contemporary with these building projects.
Another name for Dibon was Karchoh, and there is the possibility that in the 9th century the name Dibon referred to a tribe of which Mesha was the leader, and that the name Dibon was attached to the town later (see van der Steen and Smelik 2007)
Another name for Dibon was Karchoh, and there is the possibility that in the 9th century the name Dibon referred to a tribe of which Mesha was the leader, and that the name Dibon was attached to the town later (see van der Steen and Smelik 2007)


===Hellenistic Dhiban and the Nabataeans===
===Hellenistic Dhiban and the Nabataeans===
There has been little evidence recovered from the site for the [[Persia]]n, [[Hellenistic]], and early [[Nabataean]] periods. But several lines of evidence indicate that Dhiban became part of the Nabataean empire in the mid-1st century BCE. These include Nabataean-style ceramics, coins, and architecture (such as a temple with a Nabataean-like layout, Nabataean masonry, and aqueduct, retaining wall, and monumental stairway).
There has been little evidence recovered from the site for the [[Persia]]n, [[Hellenistic]], and early [[Nabataean]] periods. But several lines of evidence indicate that Dhiban became part of the Nabataean empire in the mid-1st century BC. These include Nabataean-style ceramics, coins, and architecture (such as a temple with a Nabataean-like layout, Nabataean masonry, an aqueduct, retaining wall, and monumental stairway).


===Roman and Byzantine Dhiban===
===Roman and Byzantine Dhiban===
In 106 the Romans incorporated Nabataean territories into their own empire, including Dhiban. The Nabataean monumental buildings were abandoned and there were indications of a population decrease at the site. Coins, a multi-generational family tomb, and an inscription do, however, indicate that the site remained inhabited and there were some building projects during this time. The inscription also suggests that the Romans maintained a road near the site, which might have been the King's Highway. Later on in the Roman period and leading into the Byzantine period Dhiban's population began gradually increasing in size. It was even mentioned in [[Eusebius#Onomasticon|Eusebius’ Onomasticon]] as a very large village in the 4th century. Excavations have uncovered two significant buildings from this time period—a bathhouse and two churches.
In 106 the Romans incorporated Nabataean territories into their own empire, including Dhiban. The Nabataean monumental buildings were abandoned and there were indications of a population decrease at the site. Coins, a multi-generational family tomb, and an inscription do, however, indicate that the site remained inhabited and there were some building projects during this time. The inscription also suggests that the Romans maintained a road near the site, which might have been the King's Highway. Later on in the Roman period and leading into the Byzantine period Dhiban's population began gradually increasing in size. It was even mentioned in [[Eusebius#Onomasticon|Eusebius’ Onomasticon]] as a very large village in the 4th century AD. Excavations have uncovered two significant buildings from this time period—a bathhouse and two churches.


===Early and Middle Islamic Periods===
===Early and Middle Islamic Periods===
The exact date of Dhiban's early Islamic period settlement is under debate and could be from the 7th- 8th century [[Umayyad]] period or the 8-9th century [[Abbasid]] period. The community thrived during this time and covered most of the tall by the 14th century [[Mamluk]] period, if not earlier during the 13th century [[Ayyubid]] period. Several structures on the site have been dated to this period using coins and ceramics.
The exact date of Dhiban's early Islamic period settlement is under debate and could be from the 7th–8th century [[Umayyad]] period or the 8-9th century [[Abbasid]] period. The community thrived during this time and covered most of the tel by the 14th century [[Mamluk]] period, if not earlier during the 13th century [[Ayyubid]] period. Several structures on the site have been dated to this period using coins and ceramics.


In 1261, the Mamluk sultan [[Baibars]] granted Dhiban as an [[iqta]] to the son of an Ayyubid prince.<ref name=":0">Laparidou, pp. 95-97</ref> Dhiban prospered throughout the 1200s and 1300s. It lay on the region's main trade route and supplied [[meat]] to nearby towns. The town had a diverse agricultural economy, with [[einkorn wheat]] and [[barley]] supplemented with [[grapes]], [[figs]], [[lentils]], and [[chickpeas]]. Agriculture in Dhiban heavily depended upon the use of [[cistern|cisterns]] providing water for irrigation, since the semi-arid climate made rainfall uncertain. People practiced [[multi-cropping]] and raised pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle; they also caught fish, shellfish, and crab.<ref name=":0">Laparidou, pp. 95-97</ref>
In 1261, the Mamluk sultan [[Baibars]] granted Dhiban as an [[iqta]] to the son of an Ayyubid prince.<ref name=":0">Laparidou, pp. 95–97</ref> Dhiban prospered throughout the 1200s and 1300s. It lay on the region's main trade route and supplied [[meat]] to nearby towns. The town had a diverse agricultural economy, with [[einkorn wheat]] and [[barley]] supplemented with [[grapes]], [[figs]], [[lentils]], and [[chickpeas]]. Agriculture in Dhiban heavily depended upon the use of [[cistern|cisterns]] providing water for irrigation, since the semi-arid climate made rainfall uncertain. The farmers practised [[multi-cropping]] and raised swine, sheep, goats, and cattle; they also caught fish, shellfish, and crabs.<ref name=":0"/>


However, Dhiban appears to have declined in importance after 1356, when the nearby town of [[Hisban]] lost its status as capital of the [[Balqa (region)|al-Balqa]] region in favor of [[Amman]]. Periods of drought in the ensuing years exacerbated this decline, and Dhiban was abandoned during the early years of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule.<ref name=":0">Laparidou, pp. 95-97</ref>
However, Dhiban appears to have declined in importance after 1356, when the nearby town of [[Hisban]] lost its status as capital of the [[Balqa (region)|al-Balqa]] region in favour of [[Amman]]. Periods of drought in the ensuing years exacerbated this decline, and Dhiban was abandoned during the early years of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule.<ref name=":0"/>


===Late Islamic and Hashemite Periods===
===Late Islamic and Hashemite Periods===
The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] ''[[defter]]'' for Transjordan from 1538 to 1596 neglect Dhiban, which implies that the settlement declined through the 16th century. Families of the pastoral nomadic [[Bani Hamida]] tribe established modern Dhiban in the 1950s and both built upon preexisting structures and used them for raw materials. In the following years the land surrounding the tall were distributed to the community for private ownership and the tall itself remains Jordanian government property.
The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] ''[[defter]]'' for Transjordan from 1538 to 1596 neglected Dhiban, which implies that the settlement declined through the 16th century. Families of the pastoral nomadic [[Bani Hamida]] tribe established modern Dhiban in the 1950s and both built upon preexisting structures and used them for raw materials. In the following years, the land surrounding the tel was distributed to the community for private ownership and the tel itself remains Jordanian government property.


==Archaeology==
==Archaeology==
The first work at Dhibon was conducted by [[Duncan Mackenzie]] in 1910, mainly a surface examination.<ref>D. Mackenzie, "Dibon: The City of King Mesa and of the Moabite Stone," ''Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement'', pp. 57–79, 1913</ref> Scientific excavations began at the site in the mid-20th century with the [[American Schools of Oriental Research]]'s project in 1950–1953, led by F.V. Winnett and later by W.L. Reed.<ref>F. V. Winnett, "Excavations at Dibon in Moab, 1950–51," ''Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research'', no. 125, pp. 7–20, 1952</ref><ref>A. Douglas Tushingham, "Excavations at Dibon in Moab, 1952–53," ''Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research'', no. 133, pp. 6–26, 1954</ref> The ASOR effort, now led by William Morton, continued with seasons in 1955, 1956, and 1965.<ref>W. Morton, "The 1954, 55, and 65 Excavations at Dhiban in Jordan," in ''Studies in the Mesha Inscription and Moab'', edited by A. Dearman, Scholars Press, pp. 239–246, 1989</ref>
The first work at Dhibon was conducted by [[Duncan Mackenzie]] in 1910, mainly a surface examination
<ref>D. Mackenzie, Dibon: the City of King Mesa and of the Moabite Stone, Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement, pp. 57-79, 1913</ref>
Scientific excavations began at the site in the mid-20th century with the [[American Schools of Oriental Research]]’s project in 1950-53
led by F.V. Winnett and later by W.L. Reed.
<ref>F. V. Winnett, Excavations at Dibon in Moab, 1950-51, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 125, pp. 7-20, 1952</ref>
<ref>A. Douglas Tushingham, Excavations at Dibon in Moab, 1952-53, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 133, pp. 6-26, 1954</ref>
The ASOR effort, now led by William Morton, continued with seasons in 1955, 1956, 1965.
<ref>W. Morton The 1954, 55, and 65 Excavations at Dhiban in Jordan, in Studies in the Mesha Inscription and Moab, edited by A. Dearman, Scholars Press, pp. 239-46, 1989</ref>


The current excavation and restoration project is the Dhiban Excavation and Development Project, co-directed by scholars at the University of Liverpool, Knox College, and University of California, Berkeley. Work has been conducted in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013.
The current excavation and restoration project is the Dhiban Excavation and Development Project, co-directed by scholars at the University of Liverpool, Knox College, and the University of California, Berkeley. Work has been conducted in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013.


==See also==
==See also==
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*[[Isaiah 15]]
*[[Isaiah 15]]
*[[Mesha Stele]]
*[[Mesha Stele]]
*[[Al-Alia Club|Alia Club]]


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
*{{Eastons}}
*{{Eastons}}


==References==
==References==
{{refbegin}}
*Cordova, C., C. Foley, and A. Nowell (2005) Landforms, Sediments, Soil Development, and Prehistoric Site Settings on the Madaba-Dhiban Plateau, Jordan. ''Geoarchaeology '' 20(1): 29-56.
*Cordova, C., C. Foley, and A. Nowell (2005) Landforms, Sediments, Soil Development, and Prehistoric Site Settings on the Madaba-Dhiban Plateau, Jordan. ''Geoarchaeology '' 20(1): 29-56.
*Ji, C. (2007) “The Iraq al-Amir and Dhiban Plateau Regional Surveys,” pp.&nbsp;141–161 in ''Crossing Jordan – North American contributions to the archaeology of Jordan. '' T. Levy, P. M. Daviau, R. Younker and M. Shaer, eds. London: Equinox. {{ISBN|978-1-84553-269-7}}
*Ji, C. (2007) “The Iraq al-Amir and Dhiban Plateau Regional Surveys,” pp.&nbsp;141–161 in ''Crossing Jordan – North American contributions to the archaeology of Jordan. '' T. Levy, P. M. Daviau, R. Younker and M. Shaer, eds. London: Equinox. {{ISBN|978-1-84553-269-7}}
Line 104: Line 98:
*[http://escholarship.org/uc/item/2t1020jf Porter, B. et al. “Tall Dhiban 2004 Pilot Season: Prospection, Preservation, and Planning.” ''Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan'' 49 (2005): 201-216.]
*[http://escholarship.org/uc/item/2t1020jf Porter, B. et al. “Tall Dhiban 2004 Pilot Season: Prospection, Preservation, and Planning.” ''Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan'' 49 (2005): 201-216.]
*{{cite thesis |last1=Laparidou |first1=Sofia |title=The Political Ecology and Resilience of Medieval Peasant Communities in the Southern Levant: Micro-botanical Perspectives |date=2016 |publisher=University of Texas |location=Austin |doi=10.15781/T2M61C81Q |url=https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/68270 |access-date=17 March 2020|type=Thesis }}
*{{cite thesis |last1=Laparidou |first1=Sofia |title=The Political Ecology and Resilience of Medieval Peasant Communities in the Southern Levant: Micro-botanical Perspectives |date=2016 |publisher=University of Texas |location=Austin |doi=10.15781/T2M61C81Q |url=https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/68270 |access-date=17 March 2020|type=Thesis }}
* {{cite book |last=Lipiński |first=Edward |author-link=Edward Lipiński (orientalist) |date=2006 |title=On the Skirts of Canaan in the Iron Age: Historical and Topographical Researches |series=Orientalia Lovaniensia analecta |volume=153 |location=[[Leuven]], [[Belgium]] |publisher=[[Peeters Publishers]] |page= |isbn=978-9-042-91798-9 }}
*Porter, B., B. Routledge, D. Steen, and F. al-Kawamlha (2007) “The power of place: The Dhiban community through the ages,” pp.&nbsp;315–322 in ''Crossing Jordan – North American contributions to the archaeology of Jordan.'' T. Levy, P. M. Daviau, R. Younker and M. Shaer, eds. London: Equinox. {{ISBN|978-1-84553-269-7}}
* {{cite book |editor-last1=Levy |editor-first1=Thomas E. |editor-link1=Thomas E. Levy |editor-last2=Daviau |editor-first2=Michèle |editor-last3=Younker |editor-first3=Randall W. |editor-last4=Shaer |editor-first4=May |last1=Porter |first1=Benjamin |author-link1= |last2=Routledge |first2=Bruce |author-link2= |last3=Steen |first3=Danielle |author-link3= |last4=al-Kawamlha |first4=Firas |author-link4= |date=2016 |title=Crossing Jordan: North American Contributions to the Archaeology of Jordan |chapter=The Power of Place: The Dhiban Community through the Ages |url= |location=[[London]], [[United Kingdom]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=315–322 |isbn=978-1-315-47856-2 }}
*Routledge, B. (2004) In ''Moab in the Iron Age: Hegemony, polity, archaeology.'' Philadelphia, Pa: University of Pennsylvania Press. {{ISBN|0-8122-3801-X}}
*Routledge, B. (2004) In ''Moab in the Iron Age: Hegemony, polity, archaeology.'' Philadelphia, Pa: University of Pennsylvania Press. {{ISBN|0-8122-3801-X}}
*Sauer, J. (1975) Review: The Excavation at Dibon (Dhiban) in Moab: The Third Campaign 1952–1953. ''Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan'' 20: 103–9.
*Sauer, J. (1975) Review: The Excavation at Dibon (Dhiban) in Moab: The Third Campaign 1952–1953. ''Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan'' 20: 103–9.
Line 111: Line 106:
*Tushingham, A., and P. Pedrette (1995) Mesha's Citadel complex (Qarhoh) at Dhiban. In ''Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan'', V, edited by Muna Zaghloul (Amman: Department of Antiquities): 151–59.
*Tushingham, A., and P. Pedrette (1995) Mesha's Citadel complex (Qarhoh) at Dhiban. In ''Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan'', V, edited by Muna Zaghloul (Amman: Department of Antiquities): 151–59.
*Van der Steen and Smelik (2007) King Mesha and the tribe of Dibon. In: ''[[Journal for the Study of the Old Testament]]'' 32:139-162
*Van der Steen and Smelik (2007) King Mesha and the tribe of Dibon. In: ''[[Journal for the Study of the Old Testament]]'' 32:139-162
* {{cite book |last=Weippert |first=Manfred |author-link=:de:Manfred Weippert |date=2010 |title=Historisches Textbuch zum Alten Testament |trans-title=Historican Textbook of the Old Testament |chapter=Mesa von Moab im Kampf mit Israel und Juda (9. Jahrhundert) |trans-chapter=Mesha of Moab in War Against Israel and Judah (9th century) |location=[[Göttingen]], [[Germany]] |publisher=[[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]] |page=242-248 |isbn=978-3-647-51693-6 }}
*Winnet, F. and W. Reed (1964) ''The Excavations at Dibon (Dhiban) in Moab: The First and Second Campaigns'' (Baltimore: J.H. Furst).
*Winnet, F. and W. Reed (1964) ''The Excavations at Dibon (Dhiban) in Moab: The First and Second Campaigns'' (Baltimore: J.H. Furst).
{{refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
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*[http://dhiban.wordpress.com/ Dhiban Excavation and Development Project Blog] on Wordpress
*[http://dhiban.wordpress.com/ Dhiban Excavation and Development Project Blog] on Wordpress
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/45221298@N02/ Dhiban Excavation and Development Project Photostream] on Flickr
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/45221298@N02/ Dhiban Excavation and Development Project Photostream] on Flickr
*[https://acor.digitalrelab.com/index.php?s=filter=place_name:Dhiban%20(Jordan) Photos of Dhiban] at the [[American Center of Research]]


{{Madaba Governorate}}
{{Madaba Governorate}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Populated places in Madaba Governorate]]
[[Category: Populated places in Madaba Governorate]]
[[Category:Levant]]
[[Category:Moab]]
[[Category:Moab]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Jordan]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Jordan]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Southwest Asia]]
[[Category:Former populated places in West Asia]]

Latest revision as of 05:41, 25 October 2024

This article is about a town and archaeological site in Jordan. For the town and archaeological site in eastern Syria, see Diban.
Dhiban
ذيبان
City
Ancient Dhiban with modern settlement in the background, looking south
Ancient Dhiban with modern settlement in the background, looking south
Dhiban is located in Jordan
Dhiban
Dhiban
Coordinates: 31°29′56″N 35°47′8″E / 31.49889°N 35.78556°E / 31.49889; 35.78556
Country Jordan
GovernorateMadaba Governorate
Founded2000 BC
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • MayorSalim Hawawsheh
Area
 • City10.24 km2 (3.95 sq mi)
 • Metro
20.35 km2 (7.86 sq mi)
Elevation
726 m (2,382 ft)
Population
[1]
 • Metro
13,043
Time zoneGMT +2
 • Summer (DST)+3
Area code+(962)5

Dhiban, (Arabic: ذيبان Ḏiʾbān) known to the Moabites as Dibon (Moabite: 𐤃𐤉𐤁𐤍 *Ḏaybōn;[2][3][4] Hebrew: דִּיבוֹן Dīḇōn),[a] is a Jordanian town located in Madaba Governorate, approximately 70 kilometres south of Amman and east of the Dead Sea. Previously nomadic, the modern community settled the town in the 1950s. Dhiban's current population is about 15,000, with many working in the army, government agencies, or in seasonal agricultural production. A number of young people study in nearby universities in Karak, Madaba, and Amman. Most inhabitants practise Islam.

History

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The ancient settlement lies adjacent to the modern town. Excavations have revealed that the site was occupied intermittently over the past 5,000 years, its earliest occupation occurring in the Early Bronze Age in the third millennium BC. The site's extensive settlement history is in part due to its location on the King's Highway, a major commercial route in antiquity. The majority of evidence for this population is concentrated in a 15-hectare tel. The release of the Mesha Inscription in 1868 led to an upsurge in visitors to the town (including tourists and scholars) due to its ostensible confirmation of biblical passages.

Bronze Age

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The first substantial settlement at Dhiban's tel was during the Early Bronze Age. Archaeological evidence for a habitation of the tel between the Early Bronze Age and Iron Age has not yet been found. However, the disturbed archaeological context at the site means that this might not be definitive. Dhiban might correspond with the town “Tpn” or “Tbn” found in Egyptian texts from the reigns of Thutmoses III, Amenhotep III, and Rameses II.

Dhiban and the Israelites

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The Bible calls the city "Divon" (Hebrew: דִּיבֹן), or "Divon Gad" (דִּיבֹן גָּד‎) because the city was said to have been occupied by the tribe of Gad. The name in Biblical Hebrew means wasting or pining.

According to the Bible, the city was conquered by the Amorite king Sihon from the Moabites. Later, it fell into the hands of the Israelites and was allocated to either Gad or Reuben. According to the Mesha Stele found at the site, Mesha, a Moabite king from the 9th century BC, ruled from Dhiban, as his father did 30 years before him. So it was probably a Moabite town from at least the late 10th century BC. Biblical texts suggest that Dhiban remained under Moabite control until the end of the Iron Age. Archaeological excavations conducted in the 1950s revealed settlements dating back to the Early Bronze Age, as well as structures from the Iron Age. However, in the early sixth century BC, Dhiban suffered destruction at the hands of the Babylonians and remained uninhabited until Roman times.[6]

Mesha and the Iron Age Moabite Kingdom

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The Mesha Inscription connected Dhiban with the biblical “Dibon” as well as implying that it was the capital of Mesha, a prominent Moabite king from the 9th century BCE, though its role in Mesha's reign has not been confirmed. In the Iron IIb period, Dhiban underwent at least three large building projects. The tel was artificially enlarged during this period and included several new architectural features, including retaining walls, towers, and a monumental city wall. The building dates of these features have not been confirmed, but might be somewhere between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE. These large buildings appear to have been abandoned in the Iron IIc period. The site also featured a large necropolis to the northeast of the tel. This contained multi-generational burials with corresponding funerary offerings, and one had a clay coffin with an anthropomorphic lid. The necropolis appears to be contemporary with these building projects. Another name for Dibon was Karchoh, and there is the possibility that in the 9th century the name Dibon referred to a tribe of which Mesha was the leader, and that the name Dibon was attached to the town later (see van der Steen and Smelik 2007)

Hellenistic Dhiban and the Nabataeans

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There has been little evidence recovered from the site for the Persian, Hellenistic, and early Nabataean periods. But several lines of evidence indicate that Dhiban became part of the Nabataean empire in the mid-1st century BC. These include Nabataean-style ceramics, coins, and architecture (such as a temple with a Nabataean-like layout, Nabataean masonry, an aqueduct, retaining wall, and monumental stairway).

Roman and Byzantine Dhiban

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In 106 the Romans incorporated Nabataean territories into their own empire, including Dhiban. The Nabataean monumental buildings were abandoned and there were indications of a population decrease at the site. Coins, a multi-generational family tomb, and an inscription do, however, indicate that the site remained inhabited and there were some building projects during this time. The inscription also suggests that the Romans maintained a road near the site, which might have been the King's Highway. Later on in the Roman period and leading into the Byzantine period Dhiban's population began gradually increasing in size. It was even mentioned in Eusebius’ Onomasticon as a very large village in the 4th century AD. Excavations have uncovered two significant buildings from this time period—a bathhouse and two churches.

Early and Middle Islamic Periods

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The exact date of Dhiban's early Islamic period settlement is under debate and could be from the 7th–8th century Umayyad period or the 8-9th century Abbasid period. The community thrived during this time and covered most of the tel by the 14th century Mamluk period, if not earlier during the 13th century Ayyubid period. Several structures on the site have been dated to this period using coins and ceramics.

In 1261, the Mamluk sultan Baibars granted Dhiban as an iqta to the son of an Ayyubid prince.[7] Dhiban prospered throughout the 1200s and 1300s. It lay on the region's main trade route and supplied meat to nearby towns. The town had a diverse agricultural economy, with einkorn wheat and barley supplemented with grapes, figs, lentils, and chickpeas. Agriculture in Dhiban heavily depended upon the use of cisterns providing water for irrigation, since the semi-arid climate made rainfall uncertain. The farmers practised multi-cropping and raised swine, sheep, goats, and cattle; they also caught fish, shellfish, and crabs.[7]

However, Dhiban appears to have declined in importance after 1356, when the nearby town of Hisban lost its status as capital of the al-Balqa region in favour of Amman. Periods of drought in the ensuing years exacerbated this decline, and Dhiban was abandoned during the early years of Ottoman rule.[7]

Late Islamic and Hashemite Periods

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The Ottoman defter for Transjordan from 1538 to 1596 neglected Dhiban, which implies that the settlement declined through the 16th century. Families of the pastoral nomadic Bani Hamida tribe established modern Dhiban in the 1950s and both built upon preexisting structures and used them for raw materials. In the following years, the land surrounding the tel was distributed to the community for private ownership and the tel itself remains Jordanian government property.

Archaeology

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The first work at Dhibon was conducted by Duncan Mackenzie in 1910, mainly a surface examination.[8] Scientific excavations began at the site in the mid-20th century with the American Schools of Oriental Research's project in 1950–1953, led by F.V. Winnett and later by W.L. Reed.[9][10] The ASOR effort, now led by William Morton, continued with seasons in 1955, 1956, and 1965.[11]

The current excavation and restoration project is the Dhiban Excavation and Development Project, co-directed by scholars at the University of Liverpool, Knox College, and the University of California, Berkeley. Work has been conducted in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In Isaiah 15–16 it is thought it is referred to as Dimon[5]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Ministry of Municipal Affairs
  2. ^ Lipiński 2006, p. 333.
  3. ^ Weippert 2010, p. 243.
  4. ^ Porter et al. 2016, p. 317.
  5. ^ p. 68
  6. ^ Lemche, Niels Peter (2004). Historical dictionary of ancient Israel. Historical dictionaries of ancient civilizations and historical eras. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-8108-4848-1.
  7. ^ a b c Laparidou, pp. 95–97
  8. ^ D. Mackenzie, "Dibon: The City of King Mesa and of the Moabite Stone," Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement, pp. 57–79, 1913
  9. ^ F. V. Winnett, "Excavations at Dibon in Moab, 1950–51," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 125, pp. 7–20, 1952
  10. ^ A. Douglas Tushingham, "Excavations at Dibon in Moab, 1952–53," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 133, pp. 6–26, 1954
  11. ^ W. Morton, "The 1954, 55, and 65 Excavations at Dhiban in Jordan," in Studies in the Mesha Inscription and Moab, edited by A. Dearman, Scholars Press, pp. 239–246, 1989

References

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