Associates for Biblical Research (ABR) successfully completed its eighth season of excavations at biblical Shiloh, the location of the tabernacle for more than 300 years. During the 2026 excavation season, ABR continued work in three key areas of the site: the gate complex, the monumental structure, and Area D, the location of the favissa. This year’s excavations yielded three significant discoveries.
1. Three Canaanite Storage Jars Unearthed
As excavators continued digging toward bedrock in Area D, the team discovered three restorable Middle Bronze Age pithoi (large storage jars dating to the Canaanite period, prior to the arrival of the Israelites in the Late Bronze Age.
The jars contained charred remains of common food staples: two held olives and the third contained wheat. ABR plans to conduct radiocarbon testing on the contents to establish a more precise date for the destruction layer associated with these finds.
“These discoveries provide an important window into the earliest occupational phases of Shiloh and help us better understand the site’s history before the Israelite settlement,” said dig director Dr. Scott Stripling.
2. Monumental Structure Further Defined
ABR’s archaeologists also located the southern wall of the monumental building. This structure orients east-west and exhibits proportions similar to those described for the biblical tabernacle (Ex. 26:15–25; 27:13).
In recent years, ABR has excavated numerous artifacts associated with worship activities in and around the structure, including altar horns, ceramic pomegranates, and murex shells, the source of the blue dye used in priestly garments. The discovery of the southern wall now enables ABR’s researchers to reconstruct the full dimensions of the building and better evaluate its function and significance.
3. New Walls in the Gate Complex Discovered
Excavations conducted in the gate complex during the 2026 season revealed additional walls belonging to Shiloh’s northern fortification system. These findings indicate that the complex was constructed as a bent-axis gate and contained multiple rooms, providing new insights into the site’s defensive architecture and urban planning.
ABR’s discoveries from the 2026 season have already been reported in the Jerusalem Post, the New York Post, the Daily Mail, and on MSN.
Continuing Leadership in Biblical Archaeology
ABR leads some of the largest archaeological excavation teams working in Israel today. In 2026, 120 people joined the Shiloh excavation despite the ongoing regional tensions.
The organization also remains at the forefront of archaeological innovation, pioneering the use of wet-sifting methods and implementing advanced digital recording systems in the field. Ongoing excavations at Shiloh continue to shed light on the Israelite occupation of the site during the period described in the biblical record.
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