Archaeological Sites in Israel - An Introduction
by Hillel Geva
Archeology provides a valuable link between Israel's
past and present. Thousands of sites have
been excavated throughout the country, providing
an opportunity to study its rich history and
shedding light on the culture, society and
daily life of its inhabitants throughout the
centuries.
Jewish history begins with
the patriarchs — Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — some 4,000 years ago. Many finds attest
to the long connection of the Jewish people
with the Land of Israel and highlight the
biblical narrative. Excavations have also
revealed remains of other civilizations which
have left their imprint on the country.
The archeological sites included
here describe discoveries at selected archeological
sites, accompanied by historical notes. The
sites were chosen for features of interest
rather than for scientific importance and
are arranged in geographical order from north
to south. It is our intention to provide the
interested layperson with an insight into
the ongoing study of the past that is carried
out in Israel, and it is our hope that this
will prove an enriching reading experience.
Major
Archeological Discoveries
The Church of “Mary's
Seat”
The remains of a large Byzantine church (5th - 7th century), octagonal in shape
and with multicolored mosaic pavement, was
discovered near the highway leading from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. A flat rock in the center of
the church is believed to be the Kathisma — the seat where the pregnant Mary rested
on her way to Bethlehem — mentioned in early Christian sourses.
Beitsaida
A stone stela was
exposed at the Iron Age II (9th - 8th century
BCE) Beitsaida city gate on the northern shore of the Sea
of Galilee. It bears an engraved depiction
of a bull-headed warrior armed with a dagger
— probably representing the Aramean god
Haddad, also known by his biblical name Ba'al,
god of rainfall and fertility.
Hatzor
At Tel Hatzor in Galilee,
site of the largest Canaanite city in biblical
times (Joshua
11:10), a carved basalt orthostat depicting
a lion was uncovered. Dated to the Late Bronze
Age (15th - 13th century BCE), it was in secondary
use in the Israelite level of the upper city.
The orthostat weighs about a ton and is perserved
in extremely good condition. It was probably
one of a pair of lions that once guarded the
entrance to the Canaanite royal palace of
Hatzor (an identical lion was exposed in the
Canaanite temple of the lower city of Hatzor
during excavations in the 1950s).
Beit Shean
Two monumental Arabic inscriptions,
in square Kufic script, were uncovered on
the door jambs of the gate to the city's bazaar,
built at the beginning of the 8th century
by the Umayyad Caliph Abdallah Hisham. The letters are formed
by green glass tesserae covered by gold foil
and a thin layer of glass. The inscription
reads:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious,
Ever Merciful. Ordered this
building Abdallah
Hisham, Commander of the Faithful,
[to be built] by the governor Ishaq
son of Qabisa (completed?) the year
[ ] and one hundred
Jerusalem, City of
David
The remains of an impressive
structure of the monarchy period, founded
on bedrock and built of very large, roughly
hewn rectangular stones, was discovered above
the Gihon spring in the Kidron Valley. It
is believed to be part of the fortifications
built at the end of the First
Temple period (8th-7th century BCE) by
Menassah, King of Judah, to defend the entrance
to the Gihon spring: Now after this he
built a wall without the City of David on
the west side of the Gihon, in the Valley...(2
Chronicles 33:14)
Sources: Israel Information Center, Jerusalem,
September 1997 & January 1998
Israeli
Foreign Ministry
Hillel Geva
studied archeology at the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, participated in excavations
in the Jewish Quarter and the Citadel in Jerusalem,
and is author of the entry: “Jerusalem”
in the New Encyclopedia of Archeological
Excavations in the Holy Land and editor
of Ancient Jerusalem Revealed |
