The Enigma of Ai

Many have searched for the elusive ancient city of Ai, but so far no suitable candidate has gained comprehensive support from archaeology and biblical scholars. However, one recently discovered location has been missed, not spoken of very much and not identified with any other previous locations. Uncannily, it was excavated in 2008/9 simultaneous with the the rock-cut-rooms on the eastern slope of Mount Moriah, 1.3 kilometers to the west.

East of Beit El, West of Ai

IMPORTANT: Jeroboam established a competitive Bethel, that confounds people to this day.

To resolve confusion, the image above satisfies each of the five places, in the Bible that link Bethel and Ai. For the correct archaeological site to be identified, each description must conform to the precise physical location.

a. Abraham’s tent: "From there he moved on to the hill east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and he built there an altar to the Lord and invoked the Lord by name." (Genesis 12:1-8)

          

And he returned by stages from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been formerly, between Bethel and Ai, the site of the altar that he had built there at first; and there Abram invoked the Lord by name. (Genesis 13:3-4)

b. The conquest of Ai: “Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which lies close to Beth-aven – east of Bethel” (Joshua 7:2). Joshua set an ambush of thirty thousand warriors, followed by a second ambush of five thousand, strategically placed “between Bethel and Ai – west of Ai.” When Joshua and his men feigned retreat, the armies of both cities pursued their Israelite foes, leaving the cities defenseless against the hidden ambush: “Not a man was left in Ai or in Bethel who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open while they pursued Israel” (Joshua 8:17).

c. The 31 Canaanite kings: One of the kings listed is “the king of Ai, near Bethel” (Joshua 12:8).

d. The returnees from exile (in Zerubbabel’s time): ...of those “who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city” (Ezra 2:1; Nehemiah 7:6), the returnees are organized by point of origin. There we find: “The men of Bethel and Ai – 223” (Ezra 2:28; in Nehemiah 7:32 the number is given as 123).

e. The final listing of the people of Israel: “The Benjaminites: from Geba, Michmash, Aija [Ai] and Bethel and its outlying towns” (Nehemiah 11:31).

In each of the above cases the excavation at Ras al-Amud fits the correct location, time period and scale for the missing city of Ai. 

City of Ai at Ras Al Amud, finally located

In the rectangle original Beit El before the walled city.
Approximately 800m west of Ai
Boundary - Benjamin (north) and Judah (south).

The hypothesis for original Beit El is strengthened by archeological findings and carbon dating. Details in the video below.