Gezer was an important ancient city in the northern Shephelah hills, between the coastal plain and the central highlands. This made Gezer a strategic place. Armies often passed through this area. Today, it is called Tell Jezer or Tell Abu Shusha.
Early History of Gezer
In the third millennium BC, the city had a wall made of mud bricks. Later, builders replaced it with a stronger stone wall about 4 meters (13 feet) thick.
The Canaanite city was strongest between the 20th and 14th centuries BC. During that time, the outer wall was about 4.3 meters (14 feet) thick. It surrounded an area of 27 acres.
Around 1600 BC, the people built a high place for worship. It had 10 stone pillars (also called standing stones), each up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall. There was also a stone altar or large bowl, probably used in worship. The people of Gezer built a tunnel with steps that led down to a spring inside a cave. The tunnel was 65.8-meter (216-foot) long. It gave safe and easy access to water during a siege (when enemies surrounded the city). Other cities in the land, like Gibeon, had similar tunnels.
Archaeologists found objects in Gezer that show the people had trade and cultural contact with Egypt. One important discovery is the Gezer Calendar. It is a small stone tablet with writing in Hebrew. It lists the months of the year and describes farm work for each month. Scholars date it to the 10th century BC.
Gezer in the Bible
The king of Gezer, named Horam, fought against the Israelites. Joshua and his army defeated him (Joshua 10:33). Gezer later became a city for the Levites. It was in the tribal land of Ephraim (16:3; 21:21). But the tribe of Ephraim could not drive out the Canaanites who lived there (Judges 1:29).
An Egyptian king named Merneptah ruled around 1225–1215 BC. He mentioned Gezer, along with Ashkelon and Yanoam, on a stone monument called the Israel Stele. This monument describes his military victories.
During the rule of King David, the Philistines invaded the plain of Rephaim. But the Lord commanded David to attack. Then David "struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer” (2 Samuel 5:25).
After King Solomon married the daughter of an Egyptian king, the pharaoh attacked and burned Gezer. He gave the city to his daughter as a dowry (1 Kings 9:16). Solomon rebuilt Gezer, along with other cities used for storing supplies and housing chariots (compare verses 15–19). He made the city strong by building a large gate with four sets of stone supports. Gates like this were also found at Hazor and Megiddo.
In the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s rule, Shishak (also called Sheshonk), the king of Egypt, invaded Israel (1 Kings 14:25). A list of the cities he captured is carved on the wall of the temple in Karnak, Egypt. Gezer is one of the cities listed.
The Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III ruled from 745 to 727 BC. He captured Gezer, and his palace walls at Nimrud (called Calah in the Bible) showed pictures of the event. The Assyrians brought conquered people from other lands to live in Gezer, just as they did in Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). Clay tablets written in cuneiform (an ancient form of writing) record agreements and show that these people lived in the city.