Endnote 6 – Why Did the Early Israelites Dig All Those Pits?

G. Ernest Wright and Lawrence E. Toombs, “The Third Campaign at Tell Balatah (Shechem),” BASOR 161 (1961), p. 34. The main problem with the “robber pit” hypothesis is that the pits are so uniform and undamaged. How could the diggers remove any architecture without damaging the sides of the pits? Also, from the plans of the excavations it appears as if the pit diggers were attempting to avoid previous wall lines and architectural features. For further comments, see Campbell, James F. Ross and Toombs, “The Eighth Campaign at Shechem (Balatah),” BASOR 204 (1971), p. 16.