How Cord Laid out Tel Dan High Place

By

Robert Kerson 2/2/2015

The Tel Dan High Place also shows evidence of being laid out, as would be expected, with

5:8:8 triangles. The site originally had an altar built in front of a structure. In time a large raised

platform called a bemah was built over the original structure, and the altar was repeatedly

enlarged by kings of Israel to be in competition with Solomons Jerusalem temple. (Another

holy place was constructed in Beer Shevah, but I do not have enough information nor are there

enough remains to test this site.)

Two characteristics of using 5:8:8 triangles a large square, outside the triangle(s), and having

off set features in the final design. The square need not be perfectly square nor have exactly

the same lengths on each side, but must be approximately square. The other characteristic is

that major features, such as the major axis line, or the gates into the square would be well off

center. The later do to the apparent existence of a triangle having one corner making a corner

of the square. Both characteristics were present in this high place.

Fig. 1 shows the bemah with a large flight of steps on its southern side. The bemah had a flat

area at the top of the steps, and a few rooms built at its northern end. The full complement of

eight triangles are drawn over drawing of the bemah which is traced over a scaled archeological

drawing of the bemah (all figures are tracings as are in all figures shown in all these papers.)

The lines from two apex of two triangles are drawn in red. Note how the alignment of two red

lines reach sides of the bemah at the top of the steps, circled in red and labeled (D). Another

use of triangles would be the half way point between point (A ) at one corner of a triangle, and

point (B) an extension of a red line, is point (C). Point (C) is in line with a red circle where two

triangles overlap and also were the flat area meets the wall of the buildings.

Fig. 2. Shows the bemah with its steps and the alar area to the south. Note how part of one

triangle shown as a solid red line, and the same distance shown as a dashed red line is the

same distance as half the width of the bemah shown as a red dot dividing a red line. Note that

the steps were off center from the center line of the bemah and altar. If the solid red line of the

bemah was extended to the altar, it would meet the red circle in the altar. This is shown as a

green line.

Fig. 1 shows a slightly elongated square bemah. The apex of two triangles draws out the

actual squares length. The tiny space at the top edge of this bimah view is the added width of

the bemah. Look at Fig. 2. Note how the top edge of the bemah makes the apex of these same

two triangles. Fig. 2 has the bemah drawn within the area of a perfect square, while Fig. 1 is the

actual area of the bemah.

Fig. 3 shows the altar dating from the reign of King Jeroboam II (~ 790-760 B.C.E.) This altar

was enlarged over time. Notice that the two gate space openings (dd) can be defined by the

corners of 5:8:8 triangles.

Now note that the altar area was not laid out symmetrically but shifted off center, in similar

fashion with the steps. The northern (top) and western (left) sides of the altar have walls with

terminating steps and no gate entrances, while the eastern (right) and southern (bottom) sides

have no steps gates into flat areas by the altar. The original altar was enlarged asymmetrically

yielding this off centered area. Look closely and notice that the red lines similar to the red lines

in Fig. 1, and the red circles showing four corners of altar with its four horns, are at the

intersections of two right angled triangles are all very close to major features of the altar. Even

the horns of the altar locations seem to be laid out by these triangles.

The asymmetrical arrangement of these features may be a consequence of the laying out of

these triangles. The Jerusalem temple likewise was enlarged in an asymmetrical fashion.