Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read these pages about ancient Ai. I hope that seeing artifacts and remains from Ai has enhanced your appreciation for the biblical account. The hours I spent translating and studying about Ai impacted me in three ways, which maybe you have shared:

1. The Bible's story about Ai is a true story. The events it describes happened to real people in a real place. You can visit the scene of the battle and see excavated remains of the city of Ai in Israel today.
2. Skilled and dedicated archaeologists like Judith Marquet-Krause, as well as other scientists and scholars, have made a great wealth of factual information about history available. Such information can, and should, be used to illuminate our understanding of the Bible, and to strengthen and defend the historical reliability of the Bible.
3. God acted in judgment, and an entire city of real people---soldiers, fathers, mothers, and children---were mercilessly slaughtered. We ought to take Him, and His words, very seriously.