I Have Made the Archaeology of Ein Geddi Lift Some Weight

Now, Osgood and secular archaeologists agree that between the Calcholithic and the Iron age, Ein Gedi has no population.

The Chalcolithic temple of Ein Gedi is a Ghassulian public building dating from around 3500 BCE. It lies on a scarp above the oasis of Ein Gedi, on the western shore of the Dead Sea, within modern-day Israel. Archaeologist David Ussishkin has described the site as "a monumental edifice in terms of contemporary architecture".[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcolithic_temple_of_Ein_Gedi

A Chalcolithic temple (ca. mid-fourth millennium BCE) belonging to the Ghassulian culture was excavated on the slope between two springs, Ein Shulamit and Ein Gedi. More Chalcolithic finds were made at the Moringa and Mikveh Caves.[4] The archaeologists did not discover a settlement associated with the temple. Roi Porat who discovered the Chaloclithic activity in Moringa Cave believes it to be indicative of a nearby settlement. However, David Ussishkin – who excavated at the temple – disagreed saying "had there been a Chalcolithic settlement in Ein Gedi, its remains would have been detected long ago".[5]

There is no evidence of Bronze Age settlement at Ein Gedi.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi_(archaeological_site)#Chalcolithic

Let's get to footnotes:

[1] to the former, lacks, I guess: Usishkin, David (1971). "The "Ghassulian" Temple in Ein Gedi and the Origin of the Hoard from Nahal Mishmar". The Biblical Archaeologist. 34 (1). American Schools of Oriental Research: 23–39.

[2] to the former:

Shanks (2008) = Shanks, Hershel (May–June 2008). "Ein Gedi's Archaeological Riches". Biblical Archaeology Review. 34 (3). Washington, D.C.: The Biblical Archaeology Society: 58–68.

[4] to the latter

Gošić Arama 2016, pp. 872–874. = Gošić Arama, Milena (2016). "Temples in the Ghassulian Culture: Terminology and social implications". Issues in Ethnology and Anthropology. 11 (3): 869–893. doi:10.21301/EAP.V11I3.11.

[5] to the latter

Ussishkin 2014, pp. 16, 21. = Ussishkin, David (2014). "The Chalcolithic temple in Ein Gedi: fifty years after its discovery". Near Eastern Archaeology. 77 (1): 15–26. doi:10.5615/neareastarch.77.1.0015.

[3] to the latter

Porath 2021, p. 3. = Porath, Yosef (2021). "The Synagogue at En-Gedi". Qedem. 64: III–237. ISSN 0333-5844. JSTOR 27123172.

That's a solid thing for secular archaeology. Osgood?

Happily for us. En-gedi has been excavated.5,6 The excavations found only three major periods of settlement at En-gedi:-.

1. The Roman period - not relevant here
   
   
2. During the Kingdom of Israel - not relevant here
   
   
3. During the Chalcolithic of Palestine - the largest and most prolific settlement period.

In fact, a building complex was discovered situated on a hill terrace above the spring of En-gedi approximately 150 metres north. This appeared to be a sacred enclosure, similar to the Chalcolithic sanctuary discovered in Stratum XIX at Megiddo. Notably, the enclosure at En-gedi was not destroyed, but was abandoned with the people apparently taking their cult furniture with them.

This is from:

The Times of Abraham
By A.J.M. Osgood | Published 30 Mar, 2006
https://creation.com/en/articles/the-times-of-abraham

But can archaeology stand if it's in conflict with the Bible?

Now, is it? If Ein Geddi was abandoned, why is it enumerated as a conquestion in Joshua 15?

In the desert Betharaba, Meddin and Sachacha, And Nebsan, and the city of salt, and Engaddi: six cities and their villages.
[Josue (Joshua) 15:61—62]

Let's enumerate:

1) Betharaba, 2) Meddin 3) and Sachacha, 4) And Nebsan, 5) and the city of salt, 6) and Engaddi

Yes, Ein Geddi is one of them. So, was there a habitation in the time of Joshua?

I think a part of its history from the time of King David may help:

Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi And when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying: Behold, David is in the desert of Engaddi
[1 Kings (1 Samuel) 24:1-2]

I think the context indicates two things:

1. Ein Geddi was known, and known as being by built a kind of fortification
2. Ein Geddi was also usually empty, hence the term "in the desert" which doesn't primarily mean in sand and dry climate, though that is there too, but in a place with no inhabitants.

So, Joshua conquered ghost cities that were sometimes but rarely in use. But the villages around perhaps were.

As the Chalcolithic Ein Geddi is from 3500 BC, carbon dated, we can take this as the carbon date for the earliest Ein Geddi. Which, as Osgood pointed out, is Asason Tamar:

And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, and out of Syria, and behold they are in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.
[2 Paralipomenon (2 Chronicles) 20:2]

The reason I came to think of this is a video about a prophecy:

And the fishers shall stand over these waters, from Engaddi even to Engallim there shall be drying of nets: there shall be many sorts of the fishes thereof, as the fishes of the great sea, a very great multitude:
[Ezechiel (Ezekiel) 47:10]

Here is the video:

Biblical Prophecy Is Finally Unfolding at the Dead Sea — Christians Are Stunned
6 Oct. 2026 | Ryan Lau Discovery / ⁩Ambrose Wild / ⁩Ambrose Discovery / Ambrose Faith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaCHYvg5kno

Now, the Biblical and therefore actual date of Genesis 14 cannot be 3500 BC, it is probably c. 1936 (this one based on Abraham born 2016 BC, as per Roman Martyrology, and him being c. 80 years old, as he was 75 in chapter 12 and will be 86 in chapter 16). Hence, the carbon 14 level was not around 100 pmC, but little above 82 pmC. An online calculator gives 82.763 pmC for these 1564 years of instant age.

Hans Georg Lundahl
Paris
St. Bridget of Sweden
8 October 2026

PS, next day. The connection closed down in the library, so while above was written the 8th, you only see this the 9th. Excuses for the delay!/HGL

PPS, doublechecking:

It’s incredible to find a large freshwater pond with fish, shaded by trees in the middle of the desert next to the Dead Sea.

Ein Gedi
October 25, 2009
https://israel-tourguide.info/blog/ein-gedi

So, for the possible prophecy fulfilment, I recommend a double check. This does not affect my main argument here./HGL