- Boaz Zissu
Land of Israel and Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel - +97235318350
- Archaeology, Archaeology of Ancient Israel, Visual propaganda, Hellenism, Hellenistic Egypt, Arsinoe II, and 103 morePtolemaic coins, Greek Archaeology, Ancient Greek Religion, Black Sea region, Religious Cults, Black Sea Region Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Numismatics, Ancient numismatics (Archaeology), Water Supply, Archaeological survey, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Ancient Judea, The Revolution of Shimon Bar Kokhba 132 135, Crusader Art and Architecture, Roman History, Aramaic, Speleology, Ancient Graffiti (Archaeology), Roman Judea, Land of Israel Studies, Jerusalem, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Burial Customs, Roman Archaeology, Levantine Archaeology, Byzantine Studies, Jewish Studies, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Jerusalem Archaeology, Archaeology of death and burial, Near Eastern Archaeology, Jewish History, Qumran, Hebrew Bible, Byzantine Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Roman numismatics and archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Archaeology of the Levant, Classical Archaeology, Second Temple Judaism, Early Christianity, Roman Army, Biblical Studies, Syro-Palestinian archaeology, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East, Epigraphy (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Hellenistic East, Greek Epigraphy, Phoenicians, Artificial Cavities, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Israel/Palestine, Byzantine monasticism, History of Judaism In Antiquity, Ancient Agriculture & Farming (Archaeology), Roman Sarcophagi, Early Christian Archaeology, Biblical Archaeology, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Roman Art, Roman Provincial Coinage, Judaism, Roman Near East, Bar kosibah, Ancient Near East, Synagogues, Environmental Archaeology, Ancient Israel, Jewish War 66 73. AD, Ancient Roman Numismatics, Geoarchaeology, Historical Geography, Roman Empire, Hellenistic History, Graffiti, Achaemenid archaeology, Necropolis, Roman Judaea, Hellenistic Pottery, Masada, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity, Roman Pottery, Jerusalem Temple and Its (High) Priesthood, Roman coins, Funerary Archaeology, Roman Lamps, Late Roman Archaeology, Archeology and Speleology, Roman Small Finds, Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor, Medieval Archaeology, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Seleucid Empire, Archaeological GIS, Ancient Quarrying, Jewish - Christian Relations, Coins, Roman burial practices, Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, and Survey (Archaeological Method & Theory)edit
This paper presents and discusses Hebrew graffiti incised on the façade of a rock-cut tomb from the late Second Temple period. The name שפן (Shaphan) was incised three times in the Jewish script to the right of the entrance—apparently... more
This paper presents and discusses Hebrew graffiti incised on the façade of a rock-cut tomb from the late Second Temple period. The name שפן (Shaphan) was incised three times in the Jewish script to the right of the entrance—apparently denoting the name of the family buried there. Next
to it was the name ינתן in the Palaeo-Hebrew script. The discovery raises two new questions that we cannot as yet answer:
1. Might there have been a connection between the owners of the burial cave and the Shaphan family known from the late First Temple period in Jerusalem?
2. What is the significance of the form ינתן of the name Yehonatan, and why was the inscription, incised in the Palaeo-Hebrew script, used on a unique group of Hasmonean coins?
The choice of the Palaeo-Hebrew script for an unofficial, non-sacred purpose is interesting. Additionally, this script was very rarely used in burial inscriptions in the Second Temple period.
Zissu B., 2024. A Rock-Cut Tomb at Iyyei Nahash in the Judean Shephelah. In: R. Deutsch and A. Lemaire (eds.), Gabriel, Tell this Man the Meaning of his Vision, Studies in Archaeology, Epigraphy, Iconography and the Biblical World in Honor of Gabriel Barkay on the Occasion of his 80th Birthday. Tel Aviv: Archaeological Center Publications, pp. 583-595.
to it was the name ינתן in the Palaeo-Hebrew script. The discovery raises two new questions that we cannot as yet answer:
1. Might there have been a connection between the owners of the burial cave and the Shaphan family known from the late First Temple period in Jerusalem?
2. What is the significance of the form ינתן of the name Yehonatan, and why was the inscription, incised in the Palaeo-Hebrew script, used on a unique group of Hasmonean coins?
The choice of the Palaeo-Hebrew script for an unofficial, non-sacred purpose is interesting. Additionally, this script was very rarely used in burial inscriptions in the Second Temple period.
Zissu B., 2024. A Rock-Cut Tomb at Iyyei Nahash in the Judean Shephelah. In: R. Deutsch and A. Lemaire (eds.), Gabriel, Tell this Man the Meaning of his Vision, Studies in Archaeology, Epigraphy, Iconography and the Biblical World in Honor of Gabriel Barkay on the Occasion of his 80th Birthday. Tel Aviv: Archaeological Center Publications, pp. 583-595.
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The article presents an analysis of a new, almost completely preserved Aramaic lapidary inscription incised on the shoulder of a storage jar before firing. The script utilized in this inscription displays significant similarities to known... more
The article presents an analysis of a new, almost completely preserved Aramaic lapidary inscription incised on the shoulder of a storage jar before firing. The script utilized in this inscription displays significant similarities to known Persian-period inscriptions. Consequently, assigning this inscription to the fourth century BCE on palaeographic grounds seems plausible. This discovery is an important addition to the somewhat limited assemblage of Persian-period inscriptions documented in the southern Levant.
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Horbat Basal (Khirbet Umm el-Basal), is located about 1.5 km northeast of the Roman city of Beth Guvrin–Eleutheropolis. The site contains three distinct areas separated by slopes that are mostly devoid of ancient remains. (a) The hilltop... more
Horbat Basal (Khirbet Umm el-Basal), is located about 1.5 km northeast of the Roman city of Beth Guvrin–Eleutheropolis. The site contains three distinct areas separated by slopes that are mostly devoid of ancient remains. (a) The hilltop section (b) ‘Iraq Finish and the “triangular compound” (c) “Abraham’s Tomb”.
The focus of the present article is “Abraham’s Tomb”, a rock-cut subterranean complex comprising four interconnected cavities, carved in the soft, chalky bedrock.
Two crosses and one Greek inscription were painted on the northwestern wall of “bell-shaped” Cavity C at a height of ca. 4 m above the sediment covering the floor. The height of the dipinti suggests that these were produced during the hewing process, when these levels were easily accessed.
Dipinto no. 1: A cross, set within a wreath painted in red. The wreath is about 0.5 m in diameter and has a knot at the bottom. Schematic green leaves protrude from the body of the wreath. The quadrants bear the Greek letters iota chi (the first letters of the words Jesus Christos in Greek) and alpha omega – the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, Christian symbols of the beginning and the end, based on a verse from Revelation: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).
Dipinto no. 2 is set within a tabula ansata (0.85 x 0.40 m), surmounted by a cross. A horizontal palm branch lies within the tabula ansata, in the right-hand corner.
The inscription reads:
ΘΗΚΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΒΡΑΑΜ Θήκη τοû Αβρααμ
ΤΟΥ ΔΙΚΕΟΥ τοû Δίκεοu
Tomb of Abraham the Righteous
or
Tomb of Abraham, son of Dikeos.
Dipinto no. 3: The cross (arms: 0.9 x 0.55 m) is a schematic jeweled or ornamented cross (crux gemmata). As in dipinto no. 1, the quadrants bear the Greek letters iota chi and alpha omega.
Cavity C is typologically a “bell-shaped underground quarry” – certainly not a tomb, underground chapel, or rock-cut church. The dipinti show that the underground quarry was allocated for religious use within the broad context of extra-ecclesial devotion.
The somewhat monumental inscription and well-executed crosses are unusual. While painted decorations and/or inscriptions are found on walls of Byzantine-period tombs, they are nonexistent on walls of bell-shaped quarries.
The article discusses the function of the underground system, its decorations and the rather formal inscription that indicates the object of veneration: Abraham and his possible identification as a saint, a monk, or a martyr.
The focus of the present article is “Abraham’s Tomb”, a rock-cut subterranean complex comprising four interconnected cavities, carved in the soft, chalky bedrock.
Two crosses and one Greek inscription were painted on the northwestern wall of “bell-shaped” Cavity C at a height of ca. 4 m above the sediment covering the floor. The height of the dipinti suggests that these were produced during the hewing process, when these levels were easily accessed.
Dipinto no. 1: A cross, set within a wreath painted in red. The wreath is about 0.5 m in diameter and has a knot at the bottom. Schematic green leaves protrude from the body of the wreath. The quadrants bear the Greek letters iota chi (the first letters of the words Jesus Christos in Greek) and alpha omega – the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, Christian symbols of the beginning and the end, based on a verse from Revelation: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).
Dipinto no. 2 is set within a tabula ansata (0.85 x 0.40 m), surmounted by a cross. A horizontal palm branch lies within the tabula ansata, in the right-hand corner.
The inscription reads:
ΘΗΚΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΒΡΑΑΜ Θήκη τοû Αβρααμ
ΤΟΥ ΔΙΚΕΟΥ τοû Δίκεοu
Tomb of Abraham the Righteous
or
Tomb of Abraham, son of Dikeos.
Dipinto no. 3: The cross (arms: 0.9 x 0.55 m) is a schematic jeweled or ornamented cross (crux gemmata). As in dipinto no. 1, the quadrants bear the Greek letters iota chi and alpha omega.
Cavity C is typologically a “bell-shaped underground quarry” – certainly not a tomb, underground chapel, or rock-cut church. The dipinti show that the underground quarry was allocated for religious use within the broad context of extra-ecclesial devotion.
The somewhat monumental inscription and well-executed crosses are unusual. While painted decorations and/or inscriptions are found on walls of Byzantine-period tombs, they are nonexistent on walls of bell-shaped quarries.
The article discusses the function of the underground system, its decorations and the rather formal inscription that indicates the object of veneration: Abraham and his possible identification as a saint, a monk, or a martyr.
Research Interests:
Kh. ed-Dawaîmeh lies on a hill in the southern Judean foothills over an area of approximately 300 dunams, about 7 km. southeast of Tel Lachish and 6 km. south of Tel Maresha. Over the past 15 years, extensive rescue excavations have been... more
Kh. ed-Dawaîmeh lies on a hill in the southern Judean foothills over an area of approximately 300 dunams, about 7 km. southeast of Tel Lachish and 6 km. south of Tel Maresha. Over the past 15 years, extensive rescue excavations have been carried out at the site by the Israel Antiquities Authority. The excavations revealed the remains of a mansion from the Second Temple period, which includes a triclinium, a bathhouse and Jewish ritual baths. Underground hiding complexes from the Bar-Kokhba Revolt were hewn below the buildings.
The article presents the findings discovered in one of the underground hiding complexes. Various graffiti were found engraved on the walls of a tunnel inside the underground system, including a cursive Hebrew graffito of an abecedarium; The graffiti, the archaeological context in which they were discovered and an explanation for their possible use are presented and analyzed.
The article presents the findings discovered in one of the underground hiding complexes. Various graffiti were found engraved on the walls of a tunnel inside the underground system, including a cursive Hebrew graffito of an abecedarium; The graffiti, the archaeological context in which they were discovered and an explanation for their possible use are presented and analyzed.
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The Hellenistic city of Maresha consists of an Upper City built on a mound and a Lower City surrounding it, with subterranean complexes cut in the bedrock below them. The article presents a summary of the main finds in the Upper City and... more
The Hellenistic city of Maresha consists of an Upper City built on a mound and a Lower City surrounding it, with subterranean complexes cut in the bedrock below them. The article presents a summary of the main finds in the Upper City and concentrates on the residential areas excavated in the Lower City. The article deals with the architecture of residences in Areas 53, 61 and 930 and addresses issues as layout, chronology, urban planning, site extent, population estimation, production activities, agricultural industries and economy, and relationship of the houses to the subterranean complexes below them. Finds as imported and local pottery, weights, coins and terracottas, uncovered in the excavations are presented and discussed as well.
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The Te’omim Cave is a large karst cave located in the Jerusalem Hills. Since 2009, the cave has been explored by our team as a joint project of the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University... more
The Te’omim Cave is a large karst cave located in the Jerusalem Hills. Since 2009, the cave has been explored by our team as a joint project of the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University and the Cave Research Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Over 120 intact oil lamps were collected in the 2010–2016 survey seasons from all sections of the cave; most of them were dated to the second to fourth centuries CE. All of these lamps had been deliberately inserted in narrow, deep crevices in the main chamber walls or beneath the rubble. Some crevices contained groups of oil lamps mixed with weapons and pottery vessels from earlier periods or placed with human skulls. This article discusses the possibility that the oil lamps, weapons, human skulls, and other artifacts were used as part of necromancy ceremonies that took place in the cave during the Late Roman period, and that the cave may have served residents of the territorium of Aelia Capitolina (Roman Jerusalem) as a local oracle (nekyomanteion).
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During the 5th and 6th centuries, the economic hinterland of the city of Gaza encompassed a network of settlements that supplied the city with agricultural produce. Water was collected in underground cisterns from rooftops and courtyards.... more
During the 5th and 6th centuries, the economic hinterland of the city of Gaza encompassed a network of settlements that supplied the city with agricultural produce. Water was collected in underground cisterns from rooftops and courtyards. While almost nothing remained of the above-ground structures since the settlements
collapsed, soil erosion exposed these cisterns, which now serve as well-preserved indicators of the location and levels of the houses - that supplied the water. The study examines to what extent the land abandonment in the late Byzantine - early Islamic period resulted in denudation and soil property changes. We hypothesize that the
abandonment of settlements and agriculture intensified soil erosion and amplified gully development. Approximately 140 cisterns were mapped in the study area, mainly north of the ephemeral Nahal Gerar stream. The height of the cisterns above the ground was used to calculate the denudation rate (DR) since abandonment.
Findings indicate that over relatively flat terrains (1–5 %), cisterns protrude 0.5–1.2 m above the surface. Considering abandonment in the 6th or 11th century, DR was calculated as 0.35–0.85 mm/yr or 0.5–1.2 mm/yr, respectively. Over steeper slopes (10–12 %), along river banks and incised gullies, extensive bank erosion
occurred, leading to the exposure of cisterns up to 2.5 m; DR = 1.8 to 2.5 mm/yr, depending on the abandonment time. The settlements’ distribution and the surface topography directly correlate: in settled areas, Terrain Roughness Index (TRI) values are higher compared to other areas with the same lithology and rainfall amount.
Following abandonment, decaying houses resulted in the complete disintegration of mud bricks, increasing the proportion of fine soil fractions. Cisterns acted as sedimentation basins, trapping surface-derived sediments and debris, including degraded brick material. This process influenced the mechanical composition of soils, affecting soil erosion and land degradation.;
collapsed, soil erosion exposed these cisterns, which now serve as well-preserved indicators of the location and levels of the houses - that supplied the water. The study examines to what extent the land abandonment in the late Byzantine - early Islamic period resulted in denudation and soil property changes. We hypothesize that the
abandonment of settlements and agriculture intensified soil erosion and amplified gully development. Approximately 140 cisterns were mapped in the study area, mainly north of the ephemeral Nahal Gerar stream. The height of the cisterns above the ground was used to calculate the denudation rate (DR) since abandonment.
Findings indicate that over relatively flat terrains (1–5 %), cisterns protrude 0.5–1.2 m above the surface. Considering abandonment in the 6th or 11th century, DR was calculated as 0.35–0.85 mm/yr or 0.5–1.2 mm/yr, respectively. Over steeper slopes (10–12 %), along river banks and incised gullies, extensive bank erosion
occurred, leading to the exposure of cisterns up to 2.5 m; DR = 1.8 to 2.5 mm/yr, depending on the abandonment time. The settlements’ distribution and the surface topography directly correlate: in settled areas, Terrain Roughness Index (TRI) values are higher compared to other areas with the same lithology and rainfall amount.
Following abandonment, decaying houses resulted in the complete disintegration of mud bricks, increasing the proportion of fine soil fractions. Cisterns acted as sedimentation basins, trapping surface-derived sediments and debris, including degraded brick material. This process influenced the mechanical composition of soils, affecting soil erosion and land degradation.;
Research Interests:
Zissu, B., Klein E., Ganor A., Goldenberg G., Archaeological Excavations of Rock-Cut Underground Storage Chambers at Horvat 'Ethri and the Chronology of Judean Hiding Complexes, Speleology and Spelestology 2, 2021: 72-87
Research Interests:
Zissu, B., Klein E., Davidovich U., Porat R., Langford B., Shtober-Zisu N., Amir A., Ullman M., and Frumkin A., The Te'omim Cave, Jerusalem Hills: A Preliminary Archaeological Report, Speleology and Spelestology 1/4, 2022: 47-63
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Herod “the Great”, king of Judea in the second half of the first century BC, was known for his building projects, wealth, and political power. Two of his personal calcite-alabaster bathtubs, found in the Kypros fortress and the palace of... more
Herod “the Great”, king of Judea in the second half of the first century BC, was known for his building projects, wealth, and political power. Two of his personal calcite-alabaster bathtubs, found in the Kypros fortress and the palace of Herodium, are among the very limited archaeological evidence of his private life. It seemed plausible that they were imported from Egypt, the main source of calcite-alabaster in ancient periods. Yet, the recent identification of a calcite quarry in the Te’omim cave, Israel, challenges this hypothesis. Here, we developed an approach for identification of the source of calcite-alabaster, by combination of four analytical methods: ICP, FTIR, ssNMR and isotope ratio. These methods were then applied to Herod’s bathtubs demonstrating that they were indeed quarried in Israel rather than in Egypt.
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Zissu B., and Ganor A., 2023. The Public Building at Horvat Ethri: A Synagogue from the Middle Roman Period in the Judaean Foothills. in: L.I. Levine, Z. Weiss, U. Leibner (eds.), Ancient Synagogues Revealed 1981-2022, Jerusalem: Israel... more
Zissu B., and Ganor A., 2023. The Public Building at Horvat Ethri: A Synagogue from the Middle Roman Period in the Judaean Foothills. in: L.I. Levine, Z. Weiss, U. Leibner (eds.), Ancient Synagogues Revealed 1981-2022, Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, pp. 228-235.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Gass E., and Zissu B., 2023, Is Azekah Really the Hometown of Micah the Morashtite? Some Critical Remarks. Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, Band 135/4, pp. 602-614. LINK TO FULL ARTICLE... more
Gass E., and Zissu B., 2023, Is Azekah Really the Hometown of Micah the Morashtite? Some Critical Remarks. Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, Band 135/4, pp. 602-614.
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/zaw-2023-4005/html
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/zaw-2023-4005/html
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Herod “the Great”, king of Judea in the second half of the first century BC, was known for his building projects, wealth, and political power. Two of his personal calcite-alabaster bathtubs, found in the Kypros fortress and the palace of... more
Herod “the Great”, king of Judea in the second half of the first century BC, was known for his building projects, wealth, and political power. Two of his personal calcite-alabaster bathtubs, found in the Kypros fortress and the palace of Herodium, are among the very limited archaeological evidence of his private life. It seemed plausible that they were imported from Egypt, the main source of calcite-alabaster in ancient periods. Yet, the recent identification of a calcite quarry in the Te’omim cave, Israel, challenges this hypothesis. Here, we developed an approach for identification of the source of calcite-alabaster, by combination of four analytical methods: ICP, FTIR, ssNMR and isotope ratio. These methods were then applied to Herod’s bathtubs demonstrating that they were indeed quarried in Israel rather than in Egypt.
Research Interests:
Zissu B., and Gass E., The Identification of Biblical Achzib at Khirbet en El-Kizbe in the Judean Shephelah and the Origins of Shimon Bar Kokhba, in: Maeir A. M., Magness J., and Schiffman L.H., (eds.), ‘Go Out and Study the Land’ (Judges... more
Zissu B., and Gass E., The Identification of Biblical Achzib at Khirbet en El-Kizbe in the Judean Shephelah and the Origins of Shimon Bar Kokhba, in: Maeir A. M., Magness J., and Schiffman L.H., (eds.), ‘Go Out and Study the Land’ (Judges 18:2), Archaeological, Historical and Textual Studies in Honor of Hanan Eshel, Leiden and Boston, 2012, pp. 377-426.
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The article presents the results of archaeological excavations and surveys undertaken at and near the spring of ‘En Qobi. ‘En Qobi is a spring in the upper reaches of Nahal Qobi, a tributary of Nahal Refai’m, West of Jerusalem. There is... more
The article presents the results of archaeological excavations and surveys undertaken at and near the spring of ‘En Qobi.
‘En Qobi is a spring in the upper reaches of Nahal Qobi, a tributary of Nahal Refai’m, West of Jerusalem. There is evidence of human activity near the spring from the Bronze Age to the present – a span of approximately 3,000 years.
The article presents and discusses (a) the spring and its water system; (b) partial excavations and the preservation of the interior of the medieval church located near the spring; (c) H. Tasit and a nearby refuge cave, both located west of the spring; (d) H. Qobi, situated east of the spring.
Our team cleaned the water system, which consists of a long spring tunnel, a large underground reservoir, an open pool and other elements typical of systems used to tap spring water in the Judean Hills. This system was apparently built in the Early Roman period, was renovated again and again and remained in use until recent times.
The medieval church has a rectangular nave, oriented east-west with well-preserved ashlar walls. The inner walls were covered with polychrome frescoes. Elbow columns topped with capitals, characteristic of Frankish (Crusader) architecture in the Jerusalem area, were found in situ on the northern and eastern walls. Our funds permitted only a partial excavation of some portions of the inner walls. Inadequate funding prevented a full excavation of the church walls and floors, so the construction phases of the structure were not fully clarified.
H. Tasit is a relatively small site, apparently an agricultural estate from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Unfortunately, the site was looted extensively in the past. On the nearby slope we detected and explored a small karstic cave that was apparently used for refuge purposes in the first – second centuries CE.
H. Qobi is a small, ruined village located on a prominent hilltop above the spring. Without extensive excavation it is difficult to ascertain its function and past. An underground olive press and some looted tombs on the slopes were explored. Pottery and finds from the Late Hellenistic, Early Roman, Byzantine, Medieval, Ottoman and British Mandate periods were collected.
‘En Qobi has been identified as Qobi, a location near Bethar mentioned in a story in the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 95a) and in additional Roman-period, late antique and medieval sources. The article describes the sites and discusses their historical-geographical significance and identification.
‘En Qobi is a spring in the upper reaches of Nahal Qobi, a tributary of Nahal Refai’m, West of Jerusalem. There is evidence of human activity near the spring from the Bronze Age to the present – a span of approximately 3,000 years.
The article presents and discusses (a) the spring and its water system; (b) partial excavations and the preservation of the interior of the medieval church located near the spring; (c) H. Tasit and a nearby refuge cave, both located west of the spring; (d) H. Qobi, situated east of the spring.
Our team cleaned the water system, which consists of a long spring tunnel, a large underground reservoir, an open pool and other elements typical of systems used to tap spring water in the Judean Hills. This system was apparently built in the Early Roman period, was renovated again and again and remained in use until recent times.
The medieval church has a rectangular nave, oriented east-west with well-preserved ashlar walls. The inner walls were covered with polychrome frescoes. Elbow columns topped with capitals, characteristic of Frankish (Crusader) architecture in the Jerusalem area, were found in situ on the northern and eastern walls. Our funds permitted only a partial excavation of some portions of the inner walls. Inadequate funding prevented a full excavation of the church walls and floors, so the construction phases of the structure were not fully clarified.
H. Tasit is a relatively small site, apparently an agricultural estate from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Unfortunately, the site was looted extensively in the past. On the nearby slope we detected and explored a small karstic cave that was apparently used for refuge purposes in the first – second centuries CE.
H. Qobi is a small, ruined village located on a prominent hilltop above the spring. Without extensive excavation it is difficult to ascertain its function and past. An underground olive press and some looted tombs on the slopes were explored. Pottery and finds from the Late Hellenistic, Early Roman, Byzantine, Medieval, Ottoman and British Mandate periods were collected.
‘En Qobi has been identified as Qobi, a location near Bethar mentioned in a story in the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 95a) and in additional Roman-period, late antique and medieval sources. The article describes the sites and discusses their historical-geographical significance and identification.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Judea was devastated by two calamitous wars, the Jewish War and the Bar Kokhba War, which occurred roughly 65 years apart. In the summer of 70 CE, the Romans burned the Temple and razed Jerusalem, depriving the Jewish people of their... more
Judea was devastated by two calamitous wars, the Jewish War and the Bar Kokhba War, which occurred roughly 65 years apart. In the summer of 70 CE, the Romans burned the Temple and razed Jerusalem, depriving the Jewish people of their religious, national, and economic center. Despite this disaster, the rural settlements in Judea recovered within a generation. The Bar Kokhba War that followed must be considered against the backdrop of this reconstruction. The revolt was fought and led by rural Judean Jews, with its primary theater of war in the countryside. Archaeological information about rural Judea is scattered and fragmentary. This article aims to illuminate certain material-culture aspects of this region during the years between the two wars.
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Rock-quarried wine presses were prevalent across the Mediterranean Basin throughout ancient times and particularly during the Late Roman and Byzantine ages. Archeological surveys have uncovered many presses across Israel. Overall, a ratio... more
Rock-quarried wine presses were prevalent across the Mediterranean Basin throughout ancient times and particularly during the Late Roman and Byzantine ages. Archeological surveys have uncovered many presses across Israel. Overall, a ratio of ~5 m−1 has been recorded between treading floor area (in m2) and volume of collecting vat (in m3). A recent survey of two presses located at the transition zone between the semi-arid northern Negev, Judean Lowlands, and Southern Hebron Hills of Israel revealed a considerably smaller ratio between the treading floor and collecting vat. In addition, extensive rock exposures were located around the treading floors of the two presses. A 3D laser scanning revealed that the surrounding rock exposure formed a drainage network which flows to the treading floor. Moreover, indications for light modifications of the surrounding rock exposure were recorded for the two presses. In one of the presses, this modification was indicated by remnants of ancient pla...
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In 2015-2016, excavations were conducted at Horbat ‘Ethri in the Judean Shephelah by the Israel Antiquities Authority. These excavations focused on Building F, located in the northwestern part of the site. This article presents and... more
In 2015-2016, excavations were conducted at Horbat ‘Ethri in the Judean Shephelah by the Israel Antiquities Authority. These excavations focused on Building F, located in the northwestern part of the site. This article presents and discusses the findings from Building F, with a particular emphasis on the pottery and coins discovered in an underground storage system hewn below the floor of one of the building's rooms. The architectural plan of the system and the artifacts found within it suggest that it served as a facility for hiding agricultural produce during the first century CE and as a refuge for the settlement's inhabitants during the Jewish War (66-70 CE). In the authors’ opinion, this system and similar underground storage systems from the first century CE served as prototypes for the complex hiding systems created and used by the Jewish inhabitants of Judea two generations later, during the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
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Research Interests:
Well‐preserved human skull, two upper vertebral bodies, and bones of the right hand were found in a remote cave in the Jerusalem mountains. The individual was identified as an adult male, 30–40 years old, who was C‐14 dated to the 11th... more
Well‐preserved human skull, two upper vertebral bodies, and bones of the right hand were found in a remote cave in the Jerusalem mountains. The individual was identified as an adult male, 30–40 years old, who was C‐14 dated to the 11th century. It was attributed to the local, Bedouin population. The skull manifested four sharp force trauma lesions, resulted from interpersonal violence in different occasions: Two represent past events, one is peri‐mortem, and one is the direct cause of death. The current manuscript describes the pathologies and discusses possible interpretations, which combine physical anthropology with archaeology, history, and ethnography altogether.
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This paper focuses on various technological aspects of Byzantine winepresses. The Byzantine period presents a unique point in time when the increased demand for wine from the Southern Levant is attested by the introduction of new elements... more
This paper focuses on various technological aspects of Byzantine winepresses. The Byzantine period presents a unique point in time when the increased demand for wine from the Southern Levant is attested by the introduction of new elements in the architecture and design of the winepress. Whereas past studies have stressed the importance of the introduction of the screw-press, it is shown here that this is but one of numerous features that helped increase the yield. Other elements, such as the addition of a second collecting vat and the integration of fermentation cells contributed significantly to local wine production in the Byzantine period.
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Research Interests: Numismatics, Roman numismatics and archaeology, Ancient Roman Numismatics, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Roman coins, and 8 moreRoman numismatics, Roman Provincial Coinage, Roman Imperial Coins, Ancient Greek and Roman Numismatics, Jericho, Judean desert, The Revolution of Shimon Bar Kokhba 132 135, and Bar kosibah
Until recently, calcite-alabaster (apparently the biblical בהט 'Bahat') artifacts from the Levant were commonly attributed to Egyptian sources. This raw material was used for the production of luxury vessels as well as high-class... more
Until recently, calcite-alabaster (apparently the biblical בהט 'Bahat') artifacts from the Levant were commonly attributed to Egyptian sources. This raw material was used for the production of luxury vessels as well as high-class architectural elements and furniture. We show for the first time that calcite-alabaster was quarried in the southern Levant from flowstone, which is deposited in karstic caves under free air conditions. Two flowstone quarries were discovered, in Te’omim and ‘Abud Caves, located on the western slopes of the Central Highlands of Israel. In this article we describe ‘Abud quarry. It produced few tens m3 of raw material. Both quarries produced together over 200 m3 of raw material. A broken column at the base of a built ramp in ‘Abud Cave indicates that large calcite-alabaster artifacts were produced inside the cave. The raw material may have been carried out of the cave via the ramp.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Jewish Studies, Archaeology of Ancient Israel, Ancient numismatics (Archaeology), Roman Pottery, and 12 moreLate Roman Pottery, Ancient Roman Numismatics, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Speleology, Roman coins, Roman Glass, Roman Small Finds, Roman Archaeology, Ancient Jewish Coins, The Revolution of Shimon Bar Kokhba 132 135, Ancient Samaria, and Bar kosibah
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Résumé/Abstract In the summer of 69, during the First Jewish Revolt, the Judean village of Caphetra was attacked and burned by the Fifth Roman Legion. A few years later a new Jewish settlement rose from the ashes. The villagers restored... more
Résumé/Abstract In the summer of 69, during the First Jewish Revolt, the Judean village of Caphetra was attacked and burned by the Fifth Roman Legion. A few years later a new Jewish settlement rose from the ashes. The villagers restored the buildings and built a ...
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Información del artículo A Rock-Cut Burial Cave from the Roman Period at Beit Nattif, Judaean Foothills.
Research Interests: Archaeology and Cave
Résumé/Abstract Les fouilles de sauvetage effectuées sur le site de Ziqim, en Israël, ont mis au jour un columbarium hellénistique. La description de cette structure et l'étude du matériel découvert (de la céramique et un bol en... more
Résumé/Abstract Les fouilles de sauvetage effectuées sur le site de Ziqim, en Israël, ont mis au jour un columbarium hellénistique. La description de cette structure et l'étude du matériel découvert (de la céramique et un bol en verre) permettent aux AA de déterminer la ...
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Research Interests: Ancient History, Historical Geography, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Monastic Studies, and 7 moreBiblical Studies, Byzantine Studies, Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine monasticism, Monasticism, History of Monasticism, and Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel
The article focuses on the use of the Paleo-Hebrew script versus the square script (known also as “Jewish script†or “Assyrianâ€) by the Jews of Judea during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. From the Persian period until the Bar... more
The article focuses on the use of the Paleo-Hebrew script versus the square script (known also as “Jewish script†or “Assyrianâ€) by the Jews of Judea during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. From the Persian period until the Bar Kokhba Rebellion, Paleo-Hebrew script was used in various Jewish contexts (official, sacred, funerary) and on a variety of substrates (parchment, stone, coins, and pottery). The most representative artefacts bearing inscriptions in the Paleo-Hebrew script are Jewish coins of that time and the Dead Sea Scrolls. One common view is that because the Hasmoneans and the rebels in both revolts sought to establish their sovereignty, they employed symbols of Jewish significance and the archaic and obsolete – but prestigious – Paleo-Hebrew script, which was a reminder of the glorious past. Studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls commonly premise that greater holiness and value was attached to the Paleo-Hebrew script than to the square script. The article shows th...
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... | Ayuda. A Nauclerus de oeco poreuticorum in a new inscription from Ashkelon/Ascalon. Autores: Werner Eck, Boaz Zissu; Localización: Scripta classica israelica, ISSN 0334-4509, Nº 20, 2001 , pags. 89-96. © 2001-2011 Universidad de La... more
... | Ayuda. A Nauclerus de oeco poreuticorum in a new inscription from Ashkelon/Ascalon. Autores: Werner Eck, Boaz Zissu; Localización: Scripta classica israelica, ISSN 0334-4509, Nº 20, 2001 , pags. 89-96. © 2001-2011 Universidad de La Rioja · Todos los derechos reservados ...
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Conference Program An International Conference for the Study of Poliorcetics, Military Historiography and the Archaeology of Battlefields Conference Program University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel 19–25 February 2017 Goals – The... more
Conference Program An International Conference for the Study of Poliorcetics, Military Historiography and the Archaeology of Battlefields Conference Program University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel 19–25 February 2017 Goals – The conference is an international gathering for researchers to present and discuss recent studies in the historiography and archaeology of siege warfare, battlefields and military architecture from the Classical pPeriod (5thcentury BCE) until the Middle- Ages (15thcentury CE). Such a span of time will make possible a fruitful discussion of the continuous narrative of poliorcetics.
Research Interests: Classical Archaeology, Medieval Studies, Military Architecture, Medieval Archaeology, Hellenistic and Roman Fortifications, and 13 moreBattlefield Archaeology, Roman military archaeology, Roman Army, Warfare, Poliorcetics, Fortifications, Military Archaeology, Middle Ages, Byzantine fortifications, Greek and Roman siege warfare, MILITARY ARCHITECTURE, Roman Archaeology, and Medieval Siege Warfare
The ramified rock-cut underground complex on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, known as the “Tombs of the Prophets,” is unique among the catacombs of Jerusalem. Its architecture is unusual, and the dating of its use is not sufficiently... more
The ramified rock-cut underground complex on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, known as the “Tombs of the Prophets,” is unique among the catacombs of Jerusalem. Its architecture is unusual, and the dating of its use is not sufficiently clear. The complex consists of a series of underground corridors forming a crescent around a round central hall. The plastered walls of the corridors contain elongated burial niches (loculi) with burial troughs cut in each floor. Numerous inscriptions, mostly in Greek, were carved into the plaster. According to medieval traditions, the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are buried in this underground complex (Vilnai 1967, 150–54). References to the site by travelers and scholars are found starting in the seventeenth century (e.g., Cotovicus 1619, 263; Dapper 1677, 521). In the nineteenth century, several detailed descriptions were written and plans of the cave were drawn (see, e.g., Warren and Conder 1884, 403–4; Schick 1893 [see Fig. 2.1]; Vinc...
During the last 150 years, various archaeological excavations and surveys revealed approximately 900 rock-cut tombs in the extensive necropolis surrounding ancient Jerusalem, dated to the late Hellenistic and Early Roman periods. The... more
During the last 150 years, various archaeological excavations and surveys revealed approximately 900 rock-cut tombs in the extensive necropolis surrounding ancient Jerusalem, dated to the late Hellenistic and Early Roman periods. The research goals are to examine the spatial distribution of these tombs in relation to the lithological units and rock hardness and to examine the diverse methods by which the ancient masons solved various lithological defects they encountered during the tomb excavation. We used field observations and Schmidt hammer tests to determine the rock hardness and the lithological properties. Our study demonstrates that the substrate played a crucial role in the establishment of the city and residents’ living conditions and that the presence or absence of caves in certain areas can be explained lithologically. Most tombs found west of the city were excavated in the Weradim Formation (13.7%); those found north of the city were mainly hewn into the well-bedded Neze...
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Información del artículo The Ossuary of "Miriam Daughter of Yeshua Son of Caiaphas, Priest (of) Ma'azian from Beth 'Imri".
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Research Interests: Sculpture, Israel, Cave, Ceramics, Chronology, and 4 moreNear East, Dating, Excavation, and Skeleton
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Thousands of underground artificial cavities and underground installations were cut in the soft chalk of the Judean Foothills. The local inhabitants have used these cavities for various purposes, such as agricultural installations, chalk... more
Thousands of underground artificial cavities and underground installations were cut in the soft chalk of the Judean Foothills. The local inhabitants have used these cavities for various purposes, such as agricultural installations, chalk quarries, water cisterns, stables and underground storage of agricultural produce.
During the Hellenistic and Roman Periods, numerous installations were hewn. Fixing the exact date of these cavities and identifying the ethnicity of the cutters is difficult. Sometimes an approximate dating can be based on the style of quarrying, the integration of architectural, technical, or stylistic elements, context and purpose, dated artifacts, the chronology of the above-ground site, and rarely - graffiti and inscriptions incised on the walls of the installations. Large numbers of these underground installations were connected to each other by narrow tunnels allowing passage only by crawling and were integrated into underground hiding complexes used in the Bar-Kokhba Revolt (132-136 CE)
This paper presents four underground installations from the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods with graffiti of boats incised on their doorpost or lintel. These installations, located in ancient sites in the vicinity of the Hellenistic city 'Maresha', were later integrated into hiding complexes that were used during the Bar-Kokhba Revolt. The paper discusses the use of the underground installations, the context and dating of the graffiti and the reason for their appearance and possible meaning.
During the Hellenistic and Roman Periods, numerous installations were hewn. Fixing the exact date of these cavities and identifying the ethnicity of the cutters is difficult. Sometimes an approximate dating can be based on the style of quarrying, the integration of architectural, technical, or stylistic elements, context and purpose, dated artifacts, the chronology of the above-ground site, and rarely - graffiti and inscriptions incised on the walls of the installations. Large numbers of these underground installations were connected to each other by narrow tunnels allowing passage only by crawling and were integrated into underground hiding complexes used in the Bar-Kokhba Revolt (132-136 CE)
This paper presents four underground installations from the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods with graffiti of boats incised on their doorpost or lintel. These installations, located in ancient sites in the vicinity of the Hellenistic city 'Maresha', were later integrated into hiding complexes that were used during the Bar-Kokhba Revolt. The paper discusses the use of the underground installations, the context and dating of the graffiti and the reason for their appearance and possible meaning.
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A Survey of Rock-Cut Cavities at Khirbet el-'Ain, Northeast of Bet Guvrin.
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בסביבות ירושלים מצויים כמה מקבצי קבורה מפוארים מן התקופה הרומית הקדומה. מחקרים רבים עסקו בתיעוד הקברים, בתיארוכם ובניתוח האדריכלי שלהם, אך העיסוק במשמעות הקברים ובהבנת מיקומם במרחב נדחק לקרן זווית. בתי הקברות בערים הגדולות של האימפריה... more
בסביבות ירושלים מצויים כמה מקבצי קבורה מפוארים מן התקופה הרומית הקדומה. מחקרים רבים עסקו בתיעוד הקברים, בתיארוכם ובניתוח האדריכלי שלהם, אך העיסוק במשמעות הקברים ובהבנת מיקומם במרחב נדחק לקרן זווית. בתי הקברות בערים הגדולות של האימפריה הרומית, הן במערב הן במזרח, הותקנו במקרים רבים
לצד הדרכים הראשיות אל העיר. עם זאת, בירושלים של התקופה הרומית הקדומה טרם נבדקו בצורה יסודית הקשר בין הדרכים ובין בתי הקברות והיחס ביניהם, אף על פי שכבר נכתב רבות על עולם הקבורה של ירושלים. אף שרחוקה האפשרות שכל מערות הקבורה שבסביבות ירושלים הותקנו ליד הדרכים, אפשר להציע בזהירות שהקברים המונומנטליים דווקא כן ניצבו לצד הדרכים הראשיות אל העיר.
במאמר זה נבקש לסקור שני מקרי מבחן של קבוצות קברים מפוארים בסביבות ירושלים, שייתכן שנחצבו והותקנו בזיקה לדרכים אל העיר – קברי נחל קדרון וקברי סנהדריה. ראשית נציג רקע קצר על מעמדה של ירושלים בימי הבית השני ועל תופעת העלייה לרגל אליה בתקופה ההלניסטית והרומית הקדומה; לאחר מכן נסקור את תופעת הקבורה המונומנטלית בירושלים בתקופה זו; נתאר את מאפייני קבוצות הקברים המפוארים בשני המקרים הנידונים, את שרידי הדרכים שהתגלו בקרבתם ואת זיקת הקברים לדרכים אלו; נציע אפשרות לשחזור מהלך הדרכים בשני הקטעים הנידונים; ולבסוף נבקש לשאול מה הניע את האליטות היהודיות להקים את הקברים
המונומנטליים הללו, וכיצד הן ביקשו להפגין את מעמדן דרך מתקני הקבורה.
לצד הדרכים הראשיות אל העיר. עם זאת, בירושלים של התקופה הרומית הקדומה טרם נבדקו בצורה יסודית הקשר בין הדרכים ובין בתי הקברות והיחס ביניהם, אף על פי שכבר נכתב רבות על עולם הקבורה של ירושלים. אף שרחוקה האפשרות שכל מערות הקבורה שבסביבות ירושלים הותקנו ליד הדרכים, אפשר להציע בזהירות שהקברים המונומנטליים דווקא כן ניצבו לצד הדרכים הראשיות אל העיר.
במאמר זה נבקש לסקור שני מקרי מבחן של קבוצות קברים מפוארים בסביבות ירושלים, שייתכן שנחצבו והותקנו בזיקה לדרכים אל העיר – קברי נחל קדרון וקברי סנהדריה. ראשית נציג רקע קצר על מעמדה של ירושלים בימי הבית השני ועל תופעת העלייה לרגל אליה בתקופה ההלניסטית והרומית הקדומה; לאחר מכן נסקור את תופעת הקבורה המונומנטלית בירושלים בתקופה זו; נתאר את מאפייני קבוצות הקברים המפוארים בשני המקרים הנידונים, את שרידי הדרכים שהתגלו בקרבתם ואת זיקת הקברים לדרכים אלו; נציע אפשרות לשחזור מהלך הדרכים בשני הקטעים הנידונים; ולבסוף נבקש לשאול מה הניע את האליטות היהודיות להקים את הקברים
המונומנטליים הללו, וכיצד הן ביקשו להפגין את מעמדן דרך מתקני הקבורה.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Anthropology of Pilgrimage, Pilgrimage, Pilgrimage Routes, Death and Burial (Archaeology), and 8 moreBurial Practices (Archaeology), Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Pilgrimage and travel to the Holy Land, Jerusalem, Archaeology of pilgrimage, Burial Customs, Jerusalem Archaeology, and עלייה לרגל
An Archaeological Survey at Ḥorvat Ribbo, Judean Foothills Eitan Klein, Boaz Zissu and Amir Ganor Ḥorvat Ribbo is an ancient site located some 3 km south of the Elah Valley, 2.5 km south of Tel Sokho and 2.5 km northwest of Tel Adullam.... more
An Archaeological Survey at Ḥorvat Ribbo, Judean Foothills
Eitan Klein, Boaz Zissu and Amir Ganor
Ḥorvat Ribbo is an ancient site located some 3 km south of the Elah Valley, 2.5 km south of Tel Sokho and 2.5 km northwest of Tel Adullam. During the years 2000–2001 and 2011–2013 the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted a survey at the site. The article presents a report of the results of the field survey. The authors uncovered remains of various buildings and rock-cut features and underground artificial cavities in and around the ancient site — including a hiding-complex, columbaria, elements of an oil press, winepresses, quarries, storage chambers, cisterns, and several tombs.
The various features and remains belong to a significant Jewish settlement, active during the Second Temple Period and the Bar-Kokhba Revolt, and to a Christian settlement from the Byzantine Period.
Eitan Klein, Boaz Zissu and Amir Ganor
Ḥorvat Ribbo is an ancient site located some 3 km south of the Elah Valley, 2.5 km south of Tel Sokho and 2.5 km northwest of Tel Adullam. During the years 2000–2001 and 2011–2013 the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted a survey at the site. The article presents a report of the results of the field survey. The authors uncovered remains of various buildings and rock-cut features and underground artificial cavities in and around the ancient site — including a hiding-complex, columbaria, elements of an oil press, winepresses, quarries, storage chambers, cisterns, and several tombs.
The various features and remains belong to a significant Jewish settlement, active during the Second Temple Period and the Bar-Kokhba Revolt, and to a Christian settlement from the Byzantine Period.
Research Interests:
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The Water Cisterns of Arumah (Khirbet el Urmeh), Eastern Samaria Boaz Zissu and Dvir Raviv Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology Bar-Ilan University Kh. El-Urmeh is situated on the top of a commanding hill... more
The Water Cisterns of Arumah (Khirbet el Urmeh), Eastern Samaria
Boaz Zissu and Dvir Raviv
Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology
Bar-Ilan University
Kh. El-Urmeh is situated on the top of a commanding hill in Eastern Samaria, about two kilometers north-west of the Arab village of Aqraba and two kilometers south - east of the Jewish settlement of Itamar. Scholars have identified here Biblical Arumah, the city of Abimelech son of Gideon the judge.
The most impressive feature are the remains of a Hasmonean – Herodian fortress, and its water supply system. The system includes a series of rock-cut and plastered cisterns, supplied by surface runoff water.
These cisterns, of a design familiar from Hasmonean and Herodian fortresses in the Judean Desert as well as from fortresses located in the settled parts of Judea, may have been associated with a royal fortress. Similar cisterns were recorded at Sartaba-Alexandrium, Kipros, Horqania, Doc-Dagon, Masada, Kh. El-Hamam, H. Tura, etc.
In the early '80s Hanan Eshel and Ze'ev H. Erlich documented at Kh. El-Urmeh six cisterns, of a total volume of c. 5000 cubic meters.
In this article the authors present a brief, renewed documentation of the watersysttem . It turned out that the site was recently severely damaged by unsupervised development work, quarrying and road construction made with heavy machinery by the residents of the nearby village of Beta.
These works uncovered openings of four additional cisterns, sealed until recently. The cisterns have similar characteristics. The total volume of ten cisterns is estimated at c. 15000 cubic meters.
The effort of installing the cisterns was probably due to the need to ensure year-round supply of adequate quantity of water to the residents of the fortress, located on the edge of the desert.
These findings reinforce the suggestion of a previous study by H. Eshel and Z. Ehrlich, who identified the fortress at Kh. El-Urmeh as a royal Judean fortress from the Second Temple period.
Boaz Zissu and Dvir Raviv
Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology
Bar-Ilan University
Kh. El-Urmeh is situated on the top of a commanding hill in Eastern Samaria, about two kilometers north-west of the Arab village of Aqraba and two kilometers south - east of the Jewish settlement of Itamar. Scholars have identified here Biblical Arumah, the city of Abimelech son of Gideon the judge.
The most impressive feature are the remains of a Hasmonean – Herodian fortress, and its water supply system. The system includes a series of rock-cut and plastered cisterns, supplied by surface runoff water.
These cisterns, of a design familiar from Hasmonean and Herodian fortresses in the Judean Desert as well as from fortresses located in the settled parts of Judea, may have been associated with a royal fortress. Similar cisterns were recorded at Sartaba-Alexandrium, Kipros, Horqania, Doc-Dagon, Masada, Kh. El-Hamam, H. Tura, etc.
In the early '80s Hanan Eshel and Ze'ev H. Erlich documented at Kh. El-Urmeh six cisterns, of a total volume of c. 5000 cubic meters.
In this article the authors present a brief, renewed documentation of the watersysttem . It turned out that the site was recently severely damaged by unsupervised development work, quarrying and road construction made with heavy machinery by the residents of the nearby village of Beta.
These works uncovered openings of four additional cisterns, sealed until recently. The cisterns have similar characteristics. The total volume of ten cisterns is estimated at c. 15000 cubic meters.
The effort of installing the cisterns was probably due to the need to ensure year-round supply of adequate quantity of water to the residents of the fortress, located on the edge of the desert.
These findings reinforce the suggestion of a previous study by H. Eshel and Z. Ehrlich, who identified the fortress at Kh. El-Urmeh as a royal Judean fortress from the Second Temple period.
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In the summer of 69 C.E. Cerealis, commander of the Fifth Roman legion marched through Upper Idumea. Two places are mentioned by Josephus in his account of the events: Caphethra and Capharabis (War IV, 550-551). The article discusses the... more
In the summer of 69 C.E. Cerealis, commander of the Fifth Roman legion marched through Upper Idumea. Two places are mentioned by Josephus in his account of the events: Caphethra and Capharabis (War IV, 550-551).
The article discusses the geographical identification of these places in light of archaeological excavations and surveys performed by the author in the Judaean Shephelah (Foothills). This study suggests new identification options: Caphetra could be identified with Horbat ‘Ethri, a well preserved Jewish village from the Second Temple and Bar Kokhba periods, and Capharabis could be Horbat Burgin, a large but previously unexplored site located on a commanding position and surrounded by an impressive Second Temple period necropolis.
The article discusses the geographical identification of these places in light of archaeological excavations and surveys performed by the author in the Judaean Shephelah (Foothills). This study suggests new identification options: Caphetra could be identified with Horbat ‘Ethri, a well preserved Jewish village from the Second Temple and Bar Kokhba periods, and Capharabis could be Horbat Burgin, a large but previously unexplored site located on a commanding position and surrounded by an impressive Second Temple period necropolis.
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While the archaeological research concentrated on the imposing remains of the ancient synagogue of Eshtamoa, little attention was given to the cemeteries of the ancient town. The present article compiles published and unpublished... more
While the archaeological research concentrated on the imposing remains of the ancient synagogue of Eshtamoa, little attention was given to the cemeteries of the ancient town.
The present article compiles published and unpublished archaeological material concerning burial caves and mausolea, scattered on the hills surrounding the ancient Jewish settlement.
In some of the tombs, decorated stone ossuaries were used for secondary burials – as receptacles of collected bones, according to the ancient Jewish custom. Some of the ossuaries are typical to the Second Temple period and the Bar Kokhba War, while others are dated to the Late Roman period.
The most interesting burial installations are the mausolea. Their lower part was hewn in the bedrock while their upper part was built of large ashlar stones. A pyramidal monument (nefesh) stood above some of the hypogea. The mausolea are very rare in Judaea. In Galilee they are widespread, and are dated mainly to the second and third centuries C.E.
The similarity between the mausolea at Eshtamoa and their Galilean parallels may point to the possibility that their origin is Galilean. Thus, we can assume that Eshtamoa was resettled by Jews who returned to their villages in the Darom (Southern Judaea) from the Galilee in the days of Rabbi Yehuda ha'Nassi, at the beginning of the third century C.E.
The present article compiles published and unpublished archaeological material concerning burial caves and mausolea, scattered on the hills surrounding the ancient Jewish settlement.
In some of the tombs, decorated stone ossuaries were used for secondary burials – as receptacles of collected bones, according to the ancient Jewish custom. Some of the ossuaries are typical to the Second Temple period and the Bar Kokhba War, while others are dated to the Late Roman period.
The most interesting burial installations are the mausolea. Their lower part was hewn in the bedrock while their upper part was built of large ashlar stones. A pyramidal monument (nefesh) stood above some of the hypogea. The mausolea are very rare in Judaea. In Galilee they are widespread, and are dated mainly to the second and third centuries C.E.
The similarity between the mausolea at Eshtamoa and their Galilean parallels may point to the possibility that their origin is Galilean. Thus, we can assume that Eshtamoa was resettled by Jews who returned to their villages in the Darom (Southern Judaea) from the Galilee in the days of Rabbi Yehuda ha'Nassi, at the beginning of the third century C.E.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Jewish Studies, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Landscape Archaeology, and 7 moreLate Antique Archaeology, Jewish History, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Late Roman Archaeology, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Archaeology of death and burial, and Roman Archaeology
Zissu Boaz and Klein Eitan, Some Remarks on the Jewish Settlement in Judea during the Mishnaic and Talmudic Periods in Light of Funerary Finds. In: Tavger A., Amar Z., and Billig M., (eds.), In the Highland's Depth, Ephraim Range and... more
Zissu Boaz and Klein Eitan, Some Remarks on the Jewish Settlement in Judea during the Mishnaic and Talmudic Periods in Light of Funerary Finds. In: Tavger A., Amar Z., and Billig M., (eds.), In the Highland's Depth, Ephraim Range and Binyamin Research Studies 3. Ariel-Talmon (2013). pp. 171-190 (Hebrew).
Jewish settlement in the Land of Judea suffered from two severe blows that occurred within a period of about 65 years.
The Jewish War resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, but the rural settlement in Judea survived. Following the failure of the Bar-Kokhba war, the Jewish settlement in Judea was severely damaged, but the extent of the destruction is not entirely clear.
From the beginning of the third century CE there is evidence for the existence of an important Jewish center in Lod - Diospolis and its surroundings, such as Ono. There are some enigmatic references to the existence of a Jewish community in Jerusalem – "the Kehilla Kadishah De'Yerushalaim". To this period belong also some references in the Rabinic literature to sages of the Darom, as Rabbi Yonatan and Rabbi Judah Ben Ya'akov of Bet Guvrin. The Onomasticon of Eusebius, from the beginning of the fourth century CE, attests to the existence of a Jewish center in southern Judea, concentrated in seven communities: Thalla, Rimmon, 'Ania, Yutah, Eshtamo'a, Carmel and En Gedi. A variety of archaeological finds support the written sources, indicating a Jewish settlement during this period in southern Judea - the region known as the "Darom", or Jewish South.
Many questions arise - for if this is the case in the third and fourth centuries in southern Judea, how can we explain the presence of large and important Jewish villages in the region ? Are these villages the result of a long and continuous process of development? Or maybe – were these settlements founded shortly after the Bar – Kokhba war? If they were established after the war – what is the exact date of their foundation ? What historical circumstances made possible the return of Jews to the "Darom" ?
This article examines written sources and archaeological finds from the Late Roman period, discovered in southern Judea, and discusses the possibility that the origin of the development of the Jewish community at the beginning of the third century CE in the "Darom" is connected to the return of Galilean Jews.
Jewish settlement in the Land of Judea suffered from two severe blows that occurred within a period of about 65 years.
The Jewish War resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, but the rural settlement in Judea survived. Following the failure of the Bar-Kokhba war, the Jewish settlement in Judea was severely damaged, but the extent of the destruction is not entirely clear.
From the beginning of the third century CE there is evidence for the existence of an important Jewish center in Lod - Diospolis and its surroundings, such as Ono. There are some enigmatic references to the existence of a Jewish community in Jerusalem – "the Kehilla Kadishah De'Yerushalaim". To this period belong also some references in the Rabinic literature to sages of the Darom, as Rabbi Yonatan and Rabbi Judah Ben Ya'akov of Bet Guvrin. The Onomasticon of Eusebius, from the beginning of the fourth century CE, attests to the existence of a Jewish center in southern Judea, concentrated in seven communities: Thalla, Rimmon, 'Ania, Yutah, Eshtamo'a, Carmel and En Gedi. A variety of archaeological finds support the written sources, indicating a Jewish settlement during this period in southern Judea - the region known as the "Darom", or Jewish South.
Many questions arise - for if this is the case in the third and fourth centuries in southern Judea, how can we explain the presence of large and important Jewish villages in the region ? Are these villages the result of a long and continuous process of development? Or maybe – were these settlements founded shortly after the Bar – Kokhba war? If they were established after the war – what is the exact date of their foundation ? What historical circumstances made possible the return of Jews to the "Darom" ?
This article examines written sources and archaeological finds from the Late Roman period, discovered in southern Judea, and discusses the possibility that the origin of the development of the Jewish community at the beginning of the third century CE in the "Darom" is connected to the return of Galilean Jews.
Research Interests:
Boaz Zissu, ‘The Ossuary of “Imma, Daughter of Hanania”, and the Second Temple Period Jewish Settlement at Sokho, Judaean Foothills’, in A. Faust – E. Baruch (eds), New Studies on Jerusalem: Proceedings of the Sixth Conference, Ramat-Gan,... more
Boaz Zissu, ‘The Ossuary of “Imma, Daughter of Hanania”, and the Second Temple Period Jewish Settlement at Sokho, Judaean Foothills’, in A. Faust – E. Baruch (eds), New Studies on Jerusalem: Proceedings of the Sixth Conference, Ramat-Gan, Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies 2000, 64–74 (Hebrew)
An inscribed ossuary from the first century C.E. found in Jerusalem, informs us about the birthplace of one of the tomb owners – Sokho. Two Judaean cities named Sokho are known from the Bible (Joshua 15: 35, 48; Samuel I, 17:1). One is identified in the Hebron Hills and the other in the Judean Foothills. Sokho is mentioned in the Rabbinic literature as the place of origin of Antigonos of Sokho and of Rabbi Levi the Sokhite.
Archaeological surveys have exposed scanty remains from the end of the Second Temple period at the Hebron Hills' Sokho. An archaeological survey carried by the author at the Judaean Foothills' Sokho revealed remarkable remains from this period: four ritual baths (mikvaoth), an underground hiding complex and various coins. This is the first publication of the results of our survey.
The new discoveries allow the identification of the birth place of the anonymous Sokhite mentioned in the ossuary inscription from Jerusalem with the site in the Judaean foothills. Perhaps this Sokho is also the place referred in the Rabbinic Literature.
An inscribed ossuary from the first century C.E. found in Jerusalem, informs us about the birthplace of one of the tomb owners – Sokho. Two Judaean cities named Sokho are known from the Bible (Joshua 15: 35, 48; Samuel I, 17:1). One is identified in the Hebron Hills and the other in the Judean Foothills. Sokho is mentioned in the Rabbinic literature as the place of origin of Antigonos of Sokho and of Rabbi Levi the Sokhite.
Archaeological surveys have exposed scanty remains from the end of the Second Temple period at the Hebron Hills' Sokho. An archaeological survey carried by the author at the Judaean Foothills' Sokho revealed remarkable remains from this period: four ritual baths (mikvaoth), an underground hiding complex and various coins. This is the first publication of the results of our survey.
The new discoveries allow the identification of the birth place of the anonymous Sokhite mentioned in the ossuary inscription from Jerusalem with the site in the Judaean foothills. Perhaps this Sokho is also the place referred in the Rabbinic Literature.
Research Interests: Second Temple Judaism, Judaism, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Land of Israel Studies, Roman Judea, and 8 moreRoman Judea, Jewish History, Early Rabbinic Literature, Artificial Cavities, History of the land of Israel, Land of Israel, Archeology and Speleology, Speleologia in Cavità Artificiali, Speleology In Artificial Cavities, and Judean Shephelah / Foothills
Research Interests: Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Land of Israel Studies, Jerusalem, • The history and Archaeology of the Bar-Kokhba Revolt., History of the land of Israel, and 4 moreHistorical Geography of the land of Israel, Judaism and Jews following the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Bar Kokhba War, Letters of Bar Kokhba, and The Revolution of Shimon Bar Kokhba 132 135
Rock-Cut Caves and Hiding Systems at Horvat Tabaq Nachum Sagiv and Boaz Zissu Horvat Tabaq is an ancient site, situated on the south slopes of Tel Goded, in the Judaean Foothills, about two kms. North-East of Beth Guvrin - Roman... more
Rock-Cut Caves and Hiding Systems at Horvat Tabaq
Nachum Sagiv and Boaz Zissu
Horvat Tabaq is an ancient site, situated on the south slopes of Tel Goded, in the Judaean Foothills, about two kms. North-East of Beth Guvrin - Roman Eleutheropolis. A survey and excavations were carried by the authors at the site and in the nearby necropolis on behalf of the Bar Ilan University, with the assistance of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The different components of the site are presented in the Hebrew article, focusing on the description of the complicated subterranean systems,and the necropolis of the site, their archaeological findings, and their possible historical significance.
The overall area of the ancient site is about 5 dunams. The site is located at the bottom of a slope, close to a rich water source, near a main route and fertile lands. Typical to this region is the systematically usage of the bedrock - soft limestone (kirton). An entangled underground maze had been carved ground deep, under the buildings of the ancient site. Due to the good preservation of the man-made caves, their various uses could be identified, such as quarries, storage halls, water-reservoirs, industrial installations, columbaria, mikvaoth (ritual baths), hiding complexes and burial caves. In comparison to our good understanding of the subterranean parts of the ancient site, little is known of the plan and nature of the houses built above the ground. Maybe further excavations will clarify this issue.
In spite of the illegal excavations of the underground halls and chambers, sufficient data was recovered, thus enabling an understanding of the different periods of human occupation. We presume that the inhabitancy had begun in the Persian period and climaxed in the first century C.E.. The archaeological findings give evidence to a Jewish population at that time, with customs similar to those of Jerusalem’s Jews. They used limestone vessels (unsusceptible to ritual impurity), immerse in the mikveh (for being ritualy pure) and used stone ossuaries for secondary individual burial.
The site at Kh. Tabaq ceased to exist at the first half of the second century C.E., apparently during the violent events of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-136 CE). Typical items, such as glass vessels and Judaean (‘southern’) lamps, discovered in the underground chambers and in the mikveh leave no doubt as to the date of destruction of the site. It seems that the three hiding systems were hewn during the preparations of this revolt.
Remains such as mikvaot, ossuaries, stone vessels and Judaean lamps make Kh. Tabaq a typical Second Temple period Jewish site. Spotting such finds at other sites would help identifying additional Jewish sites from this period all around Judaea.
Nachum Sagiv and Boaz Zissu
Horvat Tabaq is an ancient site, situated on the south slopes of Tel Goded, in the Judaean Foothills, about two kms. North-East of Beth Guvrin - Roman Eleutheropolis. A survey and excavations were carried by the authors at the site and in the nearby necropolis on behalf of the Bar Ilan University, with the assistance of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The different components of the site are presented in the Hebrew article, focusing on the description of the complicated subterranean systems,and the necropolis of the site, their archaeological findings, and their possible historical significance.
The overall area of the ancient site is about 5 dunams. The site is located at the bottom of a slope, close to a rich water source, near a main route and fertile lands. Typical to this region is the systematically usage of the bedrock - soft limestone (kirton). An entangled underground maze had been carved ground deep, under the buildings of the ancient site. Due to the good preservation of the man-made caves, their various uses could be identified, such as quarries, storage halls, water-reservoirs, industrial installations, columbaria, mikvaoth (ritual baths), hiding complexes and burial caves. In comparison to our good understanding of the subterranean parts of the ancient site, little is known of the plan and nature of the houses built above the ground. Maybe further excavations will clarify this issue.
In spite of the illegal excavations of the underground halls and chambers, sufficient data was recovered, thus enabling an understanding of the different periods of human occupation. We presume that the inhabitancy had begun in the Persian period and climaxed in the first century C.E.. The archaeological findings give evidence to a Jewish population at that time, with customs similar to those of Jerusalem’s Jews. They used limestone vessels (unsusceptible to ritual impurity), immerse in the mikveh (for being ritualy pure) and used stone ossuaries for secondary individual burial.
The site at Kh. Tabaq ceased to exist at the first half of the second century C.E., apparently during the violent events of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-136 CE). Typical items, such as glass vessels and Judaean (‘southern’) lamps, discovered in the underground chambers and in the mikveh leave no doubt as to the date of destruction of the site. It seems that the three hiding systems were hewn during the preparations of this revolt.
Remains such as mikvaot, ossuaries, stone vessels and Judaean lamps make Kh. Tabaq a typical Second Temple period Jewish site. Spotting such finds at other sites would help identifying additional Jewish sites from this period all around Judaea.
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Pottery (Archaeology), Archaeology of Ancient Israel, Roman Pottery, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, and 8 morePottery studies, Artificial Cavities, Hellenistic and Roman pottery, The Revolution of Shimon Bar Kokhba 132 135, Bar kosibah, Persian-Hellenistic-Roman Pottery, Columbaria, and Judean Shephelah / Foothills
Research Interests: Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Byzantine Studies, Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine Archaeology, and 12 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Ancient Mosaics, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Graeco-Roman Mosaics and Wall Paintings, Archaeology of churches, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Syria-Palestine, Byzantine Mosaics, World Religions, Early Christian Church History, Ancient Religions, Early Byzantine Archaeology, Judaism and Jews following the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Bar Kokhba War, The Revolution of Shimon Bar Kokhba 132 135, and Bar kosibah
Horvat Midras is an ancient site, situated on the northern slopes of a hill in the Judean Shephelah, c. 6 kms NE of Bet Govrin - Eleutheropolis. Surveys and excavations undertaken from the 1950s to present days revealed remains of a... more
Horvat Midras is an ancient site, situated on the northern slopes of a hill in the Judean Shephelah, c. 6 kms NE of Bet Govrin - Eleutheropolis. Surveys and excavations undertaken from the 1950s to present days revealed remains of a significant settlement, rock-cut (artificial) cavities and tombs from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine periods.
The present article discusses the rich remains of the settlement from the Hellenistic to the Middle Roman periods (Bar-Kokhba Revolt) and reconsiders the identification of the site with Drusias, mentioned by the 2nd century CE geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus.
The present article discusses the rich remains of the settlement from the Hellenistic to the Middle Roman periods (Bar-Kokhba Revolt) and reconsiders the identification of the site with Drusias, mentioned by the 2nd century CE geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus.
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Until recently, calcite-alabaster (apparently the biblical בהט 'Bahat') artifacts from the Levant were commonly attributed to Egyptian sources. This raw material was used for the production of luxury vessels as well as high-class... more
Until recently, calcite-alabaster (apparently the biblical בהט 'Bahat') artifacts from the Levant were commonly attributed to Egyptian sources. This raw material was used for the production of luxury vessels as well as high-class architectural elements and furniture. We show for the first time that calcite-alabaster was quarried in the southern Levant from flowstone, which is deposited in karstic caves under free air conditions. Two flowstone quarries were discovered, in Te’omim and ‘Abud Caves, located on the western slopes of the Central Highlands of Israel. In this article we describe ‘Abud quarry. It produced few tens m3 of raw material. Both quarries produced together over 200 m3 of raw material. A broken column at the base of a built ramp in ‘Abud Cave indicates that large calcite-alabaster artifacts were produced inside the cave. The raw material may have been carried out of the cave via the ramp.
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Hurbat Husham lies in the Judean Foothills at the summit of a hill that overtops its surroundings (elev. 380 m above sea level). It is located in the northern section of a ridge that is part of the High Shephelah, between the Nahal Soreq... more
Hurbat Husham lies in the Judean Foothills at the summit of a hill that overtops its surroundings (elev. 380 m above sea level). It is located in the northern section of a ridge that is part of the High Shephelah, between the Nahal Soreq and Nahal Elah basins. The ruin covers some 50 dunams at the top and along the slopes of the knoll. It affords a view in all directions, including towards the coastal plain, the Shephelah, the Soreq valley, and extensive stretches of the Judean Hills as far as the Beit El Hills. The name of the site, Hurbat Husham, or, in Arabic, Kh. el Kheishum (i.e., “nose”) reflects the fact that it towers prominently over its surroundings.
Beginning in the late 1990s, the authors documented and mapped underground cavities and other archaeological features there, in the wake of intensive illegal excavations carried out by antiquities looters. We documented a variety of elements, including mikvaʾot (ritual baths), underground storage cavities, a hiding complex, agricultural facilities, a small fortress at the top of the hill, and burial caves. These findings bear witness to a large Jewish settlement at the site from the Second Temple period until the Bar Kokhba Revolt. An uninscribed milestone, found in the wadi north of the site, indicates the existence of a Roman road nearby.
In 2013, looters uncovered the opening of a large underground cistern, 18 m long and five m wide, rock-cut on the site’s northern slope outside the ancient settlement. The cistern is similar in its layout and design to others that have been found on the slopes of Hasmonean/Herodian fortresses throughout Judea, both in the Judean Desert—Masada, Hyrcania, Herodium, Dok, Kypros, and Alexandrion—and in settled areas—Kh. el Urmeh, Tel Kefira, Kh. Tura, and Kh. al-Jumjum. During this year, the authors carried out an excavation (on behalf of IAA) in a Second Temple–era ritual bath on the northern slope. The doorposts were marked with Christian graffiti, which include crosses and schematic representations of birds. During this excavation, we also collected shards from a hiding system on the same slope near the ritual bath. The pottery makes it possible to date the periods of activity at the site: the second and first centuries BCE, from the late Second Temple era through the Bar Kokhba Revolt, the late Roman and Byzantine era, and the Ottoman period.
The site’s unique topography, the name, the existence of a long rectangular cistern from the Second Temple era, and pottery from the second century BCE all suggest the existence of a Hasmonean/Herodian fortress intended to guard the western approach and one of the major access routes (the Soreq valley) to Judea in the late Second Temple period. The existence of a ruin known as Kh. Tibneh near Hurbat Husham allows us to suggest, albeit with due caution, that the ancient name of this site was “Timna” and that the name was transferred to and preserved in the nearby “Tibneh”—a phenomenon known from many other places. We therefore propose identifying this site with Thamnata, one of the fortresses erected by Bacchides in response to the Hasmonean Revolt.
Beginning in the late 1990s, the authors documented and mapped underground cavities and other archaeological features there, in the wake of intensive illegal excavations carried out by antiquities looters. We documented a variety of elements, including mikvaʾot (ritual baths), underground storage cavities, a hiding complex, agricultural facilities, a small fortress at the top of the hill, and burial caves. These findings bear witness to a large Jewish settlement at the site from the Second Temple period until the Bar Kokhba Revolt. An uninscribed milestone, found in the wadi north of the site, indicates the existence of a Roman road nearby.
In 2013, looters uncovered the opening of a large underground cistern, 18 m long and five m wide, rock-cut on the site’s northern slope outside the ancient settlement. The cistern is similar in its layout and design to others that have been found on the slopes of Hasmonean/Herodian fortresses throughout Judea, both in the Judean Desert—Masada, Hyrcania, Herodium, Dok, Kypros, and Alexandrion—and in settled areas—Kh. el Urmeh, Tel Kefira, Kh. Tura, and Kh. al-Jumjum. During this year, the authors carried out an excavation (on behalf of IAA) in a Second Temple–era ritual bath on the northern slope. The doorposts were marked with Christian graffiti, which include crosses and schematic representations of birds. During this excavation, we also collected shards from a hiding system on the same slope near the ritual bath. The pottery makes it possible to date the periods of activity at the site: the second and first centuries BCE, from the late Second Temple era through the Bar Kokhba Revolt, the late Roman and Byzantine era, and the Ottoman period.
The site’s unique topography, the name, the existence of a long rectangular cistern from the Second Temple era, and pottery from the second century BCE all suggest the existence of a Hasmonean/Herodian fortress intended to guard the western approach and one of the major access routes (the Soreq valley) to Judea in the late Second Temple period. The existence of a ruin known as Kh. Tibneh near Hurbat Husham allows us to suggest, albeit with due caution, that the ancient name of this site was “Timna” and that the name was transferred to and preserved in the nearby “Tibneh”—a phenomenon known from many other places. We therefore propose identifying this site with Thamnata, one of the fortresses erected by Bacchides in response to the Hasmonean Revolt.
Research Interests: Graffiti, Early Christian Art, Hellenistic Roman and Byzantine Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Early Christian Archaeology, Historical Geography of the land of Israel, and 4 moreEarly Christian Papyri and Inscriptions, The Revolution of Shimon Bar Kokhba 132 135, Bar kosibah, and Judaea In Hellenistic Times
Archaeological Excavations at Khirbet Jamjum (Gush Etzion): A Fortified Settlement and Remains of Pottery Production from the Roman and Byzantine Periods – 2008 Season Eran Meir1 & Boaz Zissu2 1. Kefar 'Etzion Field School 2.... more
Archaeological Excavations at Khirbet Jamjum (Gush Etzion):
A Fortified Settlement and Remains of Pottery Production from the Roman and Byzantine Periods – 2008 Season
Eran Meir1 & Boaz Zissu2
1. Kefar 'Etzion Field School
2. Bar-Ilan University Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel and Archaeology Studies
Khirbet Jamjum is an ancient site, situated on a prominent hill, on the western slopes of the Judean Hills, west of Gush Etzion , about one km. north of the modern settlement of Bat 'Ain. An archaeological excavation and survey project was initiated and organized by the Kefar 'Etzion Field School. The article presents the results of the 2008 season, directed by the authors, on behalf of the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology.
The article focuses on a description of the remains uncovered in two excavation areas:
1. Two rooms belonging to a building from the Mameluke period, exposed on the hill-top.
2. Parts of a pottery workshop, including a kiln and wasters, exposed on the topographic saddle, south of the hill-top. Pottery was produced here, most probably during the late Roman and early Byzantine periods.
The article describes the main features of the ancient buildings on the hill-top, some rock-cut water cisterns, two Jewish ritual immersion baths (miqwa'ot) and other subterranean installations that were explored.
It appears that the ancient site was inhabited from the Hasmonean to the Mameluke periods; Jews lived here from the Hasmonean period to the Bar-Kokhba revolt (from the 2nd century BCE-until 135 CE).
A Fortified Settlement and Remains of Pottery Production from the Roman and Byzantine Periods – 2008 Season
Eran Meir1 & Boaz Zissu2
1. Kefar 'Etzion Field School
2. Bar-Ilan University Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel and Archaeology Studies
Khirbet Jamjum is an ancient site, situated on a prominent hill, on the western slopes of the Judean Hills, west of Gush Etzion , about one km. north of the modern settlement of Bat 'Ain. An archaeological excavation and survey project was initiated and organized by the Kefar 'Etzion Field School. The article presents the results of the 2008 season, directed by the authors, on behalf of the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology.
The article focuses on a description of the remains uncovered in two excavation areas:
1. Two rooms belonging to a building from the Mameluke period, exposed on the hill-top.
2. Parts of a pottery workshop, including a kiln and wasters, exposed on the topographic saddle, south of the hill-top. Pottery was produced here, most probably during the late Roman and early Byzantine periods.
The article describes the main features of the ancient buildings on the hill-top, some rock-cut water cisterns, two Jewish ritual immersion baths (miqwa'ot) and other subterranean installations that were explored.
It appears that the ancient site was inhabited from the Hasmonean to the Mameluke periods; Jews lived here from the Hasmonean period to the Bar-Kokhba revolt (from the 2nd century BCE-until 135 CE).
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The article presents a group of rock cut ritual immersion baths recently found at a group of rural sites in the Jerusalem Hills. The baths, were dated from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE, and they serve as indicators for the... more
The article presents a group of rock cut ritual immersion baths recently found at a group of rural sites in the Jerusalem Hills. The baths, were dated from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE, and they serve as indicators for the understanding of the geographical extent of Jewish settlement in Judea and the prevalent ritual purification practices.
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At the initiative of the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet Le'Israel) three excavation seasons were undertaken at ‘Ein Qobi spring, SW of Jerusalem by a team of the Israel Antiquities Authority, under the direction of the authors. The... more
At the initiative of the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet Le'Israel) three excavation seasons were undertaken at ‘Ein Qobi spring, SW of Jerusalem by a team of the Israel Antiquities Authority, under the direction of the authors.
The Hebrew article describes the results of the 2000 and 2001 seasons. The highlights of these seasons were the partial exposing of the interior of the Crusader' period church located near the spring, and the cleaning of the water system.
The team revealed and preserved sections of the inner walls of the church, covered with polychrome frescoes. Elbow capitals, characteristic of Crusader period architecture in the area of Jerusalem were found in situ, in the northern and eastern walls of the church. The floors of the church were not exposed, and the construction phases of this building were not fully clarified.
The team cleaned the water system, which consists of a long tunnel, a large underground reservoir an open pool and other elements, typical to water systems used to tap spring water in the Judean Mountains. This system was apparently built in the Second Temple period and remained in use until recent times.
The authors express their hope that funds will be made available in order to accomplish the excavation and conservation project of a well preserved church from the Crusader' period.
The Hebrew article describes the results of the 2000 and 2001 seasons. The highlights of these seasons were the partial exposing of the interior of the Crusader' period church located near the spring, and the cleaning of the water system.
The team revealed and preserved sections of the inner walls of the church, covered with polychrome frescoes. Elbow capitals, characteristic of Crusader period architecture in the area of Jerusalem were found in situ, in the northern and eastern walls of the church. The floors of the church were not exposed, and the construction phases of this building were not fully clarified.
The team cleaned the water system, which consists of a long tunnel, a large underground reservoir an open pool and other elements, typical to water systems used to tap spring water in the Judean Mountains. This system was apparently built in the Second Temple period and remained in use until recent times.
The authors express their hope that funds will be made available in order to accomplish the excavation and conservation project of a well preserved church from the Crusader' period.
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This paper discusses the history of research at Deir el-Azhar, including a discussion of its identification with Kiriath-Jearim, and provide a preliminary report of both the recent archaeological survey and G. Barkay’s salvage excavation.... more
This paper discusses the history of research at Deir el-Azhar, including a discussion of its identification with Kiriath-Jearim, and provide a preliminary report of both the recent archaeological survey and G. Barkay’s salvage excavation. Significantly, this paper provides the first modern report on the nature of the archaeology of Kiriath-Jearim (Deir el-Azhar), which includes occupation from the Neolithic period until modern times.