Josiah at Megiddo: New Evidence from the Field

The encounter between Josiah and Necho at Megiddo in 609 BCE (2 Kings 23,29) was a fateful event in biblical period history and theology. Yet, the archaeology of the site failed to supply information about this affair. Here we describe the finds of several post 732 BCE layers recently unearthed at the site, with special attention to Level X-3 of the late 7th century. The finds in this layer include an exceptional number of Egyptian-made pottery vessels as well as a significant number of East Greek pottery, usually interpreted as representing Greek mercenaries in the service of the 26th Dynasty. These finds shed light on the population of Egyptian-governed Megiddo and hence on the background of the 609 BCE event.