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Created page with "'''Ai''' (Hebrew: '''עַי'''; meaning 'the ruin')<ref>[http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/ai/ Ai Definition]</ref> is a biblical site first mentioned in the Book of..."
'''Ai''' (Hebrew: '''עַי'''; meaning 'the ruin')<ref>[http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/ai/ Ai Definition]</ref> is a biblical site first mentioned in the [[Book of Genesis]] as the place where [[Abraham]] and [[Lot]] set up a camp as they were travelling. This biblical site is primarily known for being destroyed by the Israelite's under [[Joshua (Biblical leader)|Joshua]], the first leader of [[Israel]] after [[Moses]], and it is associated with [[Bethel]] in the Bible a number of times.
== Biblical Passages ==
The biblical city of Ai is mentioned several times throughout the [[Old Testament]], including the following passages.
'''Genesis 13:3:''' He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
'''Joshua 8:1:''' The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land
'''Joshua 8:28:''' So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation until this day.
== Archaeology ==
The archaeology of Ai is different from that of other biblical sites in its time, as throughout the centuries of the biblical narrative, the actual location of Ai changed. In the time of [[Abraham]], Ai was located in the ancient site known as [[et-Tell]]. The word Ai means 'the ruin', and the word et-Tell means 'the ruin'. And indeed, during the time of Abraham (Middle Bronze Age; 2000-1550 BC) et-Tell was a ruin that had been destroyed centuries earlier. However, during the time of Joshua, the toponym of Ai had changed from et-Tell to a different site named [[Khirbet el-Maqatir]].<ref>Wood, Bryant G. "The search for Joshua’s Ai." Critical Issues in Early Israelite History 3 (2008): 205.</ref> Although the biblical geographical indicators given to us for Ai in [[Genesis]] are only consistent with et-Tell, the geographical indicators during the time of Joshua (Late Bronze Age; 1550-1200 BC) are no longer consistent with Ai, rather they have been identified by [[Bryant Wood]] as only compatible with Khirbet el-Maqatir.<ref>Wood, Bryant G. "Khirbet-el-Maqatir, 1995-1998-Excavations and surveys-Notes and news." Israel Exploration Journal 50.1-2 (2000): 123-130.</ref><ref>Peterson, Brian Neil. The Authors of the Deuteronomistic History: Locating a Tradition in Ancient Israel. Fortress Press, 2014. pg. 92, also see footnote 36.</ref> For example, the Ai of Joshua was supposed to be inhabited, however et-Tell was not inhabited throughout the entirety of both the Late Bronze Age. Joshua 10:2 says that Gibeon was "larger than Ai", however, Gibeon is about 10 acres in area, whereas et-Tell is around 20 acres in area, meaning although Gibeon is supposed to be larger than Ai, et-Tell is significantly larger than Gibeon. However, Khirbet el-Maqatir, being only two acres in size, is significantly smaller than Gibeon just as the Book of Joshua necessitates. For this reason, the Ai of Abraham can be identified as et-Tell, whereas the Ai of Joshua can be identified as Khirbet el-Maqatir, as Bryant Wood has suggested.
== External Links ==
*[http://www.bibleplaces.com/maqatir/ BiblePlaces, Khirbet el-Maqatir]
*[http://crossexamined.org/joshuas-ai-discovered/ Has Joshua's Ai Been Discovered?]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Biblical Places]]
== Biblical Passages ==
The biblical city of Ai is mentioned several times throughout the [[Old Testament]], including the following passages.
'''Genesis 13:3:''' He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
'''Joshua 8:1:''' The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land
'''Joshua 8:28:''' So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation until this day.
== Archaeology ==
The archaeology of Ai is different from that of other biblical sites in its time, as throughout the centuries of the biblical narrative, the actual location of Ai changed. In the time of [[Abraham]], Ai was located in the ancient site known as [[et-Tell]]. The word Ai means 'the ruin', and the word et-Tell means 'the ruin'. And indeed, during the time of Abraham (Middle Bronze Age; 2000-1550 BC) et-Tell was a ruin that had been destroyed centuries earlier. However, during the time of Joshua, the toponym of Ai had changed from et-Tell to a different site named [[Khirbet el-Maqatir]].<ref>Wood, Bryant G. "The search for Joshua’s Ai." Critical Issues in Early Israelite History 3 (2008): 205.</ref> Although the biblical geographical indicators given to us for Ai in [[Genesis]] are only consistent with et-Tell, the geographical indicators during the time of Joshua (Late Bronze Age; 1550-1200 BC) are no longer consistent with Ai, rather they have been identified by [[Bryant Wood]] as only compatible with Khirbet el-Maqatir.<ref>Wood, Bryant G. "Khirbet-el-Maqatir, 1995-1998-Excavations and surveys-Notes and news." Israel Exploration Journal 50.1-2 (2000): 123-130.</ref><ref>Peterson, Brian Neil. The Authors of the Deuteronomistic History: Locating a Tradition in Ancient Israel. Fortress Press, 2014. pg. 92, also see footnote 36.</ref> For example, the Ai of Joshua was supposed to be inhabited, however et-Tell was not inhabited throughout the entirety of both the Late Bronze Age. Joshua 10:2 says that Gibeon was "larger than Ai", however, Gibeon is about 10 acres in area, whereas et-Tell is around 20 acres in area, meaning although Gibeon is supposed to be larger than Ai, et-Tell is significantly larger than Gibeon. However, Khirbet el-Maqatir, being only two acres in size, is significantly smaller than Gibeon just as the Book of Joshua necessitates. For this reason, the Ai of Abraham can be identified as et-Tell, whereas the Ai of Joshua can be identified as Khirbet el-Maqatir, as Bryant Wood has suggested.
== External Links ==
*[http://www.bibleplaces.com/maqatir/ BiblePlaces, Khirbet el-Maqatir]
*[http://crossexamined.org/joshuas-ai-discovered/ Has Joshua's Ai Been Discovered?]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Biblical Places]]