Ancient Records Confirm the Location of an Israelite Tribe

 The Bible says that when the Israelites conquered the Promised Land and divided it among their tribes, ten clans of Manasseh received tracts of land west of the Jordan, separate from the rest of the tribe. (Joshua 17:1-6) Is there archaeological evidence that this happened?

In 1910 a collection of pottery fragments inscribed with writing was unearthed in Samaria. These fragments, or ostraca, contained records written in Hebrew, which documented the delivery of luxury goods-including wine and cosmetic oil-to the royal palace of the capital city.  Altogether, 102 ostraca were found, dated to the eighth century B.C.E., but only 63 are fully legible.  Collectively, however, these 62 fragments reveal dates and the names of clans, as well as the identities of the senders and the recipients of the merchandise. 

Next time: Ancient Records Confirms the Location of an Israelite Tribe- Conclusion

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