New Shiloh Excavations Reopen the Debate over a Monumental Cultic Building

The Southern Wall Changes the Archaeological Picture

The eighth season of excavations by Associates for Biblical Research at biblical Shiloh in 2026 has produced new and substantial evidence concerning a monumental structure that has commanded scholarly attention since earlier excavation phases. The discovery of the southern wall of this structure represents a significant development, allowing archaeologists to reconstruct the building's dimensions more fully and to engage more precisely with questions about its identity and function.

Archaeologist Tim Lopez, MA, an Area Supervisor with the Shiloh excavations, has made his recent work publicly available. On 13 September 2026, Associates for Biblical Research published "Could This Be The Tabernacle? | Digging for Truth Episode 301," featuring Lopez discussing the monumental building and the possibility of a relationship to the biblical Tabernacle tradition.

What Was Found in the 2026 Season?

The eighth ABR season at Shiloh produced three major sets of discoveries:

• The southern wall of the monumental building, which enables more precise calculation of the structure's total dimensions and architectural plan;
• Additional walls and rooms of the northern gate complex, which expand understanding of the broader gate and fortification system at the site;
• Three Middle Bronze Age storage jars containing charred remains associated with olives and wheat, providing evidence for the range of subsistence goods managed at the site during the Middle Bronze Age.

Each of these discoveries contributes to the larger archaeological narrative of human habitation and activity at Shiloh across multiple periods.

A Tabernacle Hypothesis, Not an Archaeological Certainty

One of the most significant aspects of contemporary archaeological reporting at Shiloh concerns how scholars and excavation teams distinguish between archaeological evidence and historical or religious interpretation. The monumental structure at Shiloh has been compared to descriptions of the biblical Tabernacle. The excavation team has compared the building's dimensions, layout, and materials to textual descriptions in the Hebrew Bible.

However, it is essential to note clearly: the excavation of a monumental structure at Shiloh does not constitute archaeological proof that this building is the Tabernacle as described in biblical texts. Rather, Lopez and the excavation team examine whether the archaeological record from Shiloh can be coherently related to biblical traditions concerning a tent-sanctuary or portable shrine-building.

The hypothesis remains open to scholarly evaluation. The archaeological record does not currently establish that this identification is correct, and alternative interpretations of the monumental structure's function remain possible. Responsible scholarship distinguishes carefully between:

• what the archaeological evidence shows (dimensions, materials, layout, chronology);
• what hypotheses scholars propose about that evidence (possible connection to Tabernacle traditions);
• what can be established as historically certain (which is considerably more limited).

Tim Lopez at EHJ 2026

On 6 November 2026 at 13:00 CET, Tim Lopez will present "The Monumental Building at Shiloh: Archaeological Evidence for the Israelite Tabernacle?" at the European Hebrew Journal International Scholarly Online Zoom Conference. This presentation will provide an opportunity for scholars and interested participants to engage directly with one of the lead archaeologists of the Shiloh excavations about recent discoveries, interpretive frameworks, and the relationship between archaeological evidence and biblical traditions.