Pictures from the Holyland » Shephela / Judea

Gezer

dgrushko — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:45:56 +0000

Gezer was located on the northern border of the Shephelah, approximately thirty kilometres west of Jerusalem. It was strategically situated at the junction of the International Coastal Highway and the highway connecting it with Jerusalem through the valley of Ajalon.

The view from Gezer encompassed the whole Coastal Plain below it, making it a strategic military center.

Gezer extends over 130 dunams, and contains 26 levels of settlement, from the Chalcolithic to the early Roman periods (3500 B.C. – 100 A.D.). Most of the remains date from the Middle and Late Canaanite and the Israelite periods. During this times Gezer was an important city controlling the junction of the Via-Maris with the road to Jerusalem.

The city of Gezer was Known from Several sources. Gezer is mentioned in Egyptian records, such as the writings of Thutmose III as well as the letters of Amarna, and Pharaoh Merneptah boasted that he “seized Gezer”.

A Canaanite Middle Bronze Age Terracotta Oil-Lamp

It is mentioned in connection with the conquest of the land under the leadership of Joshua. The town was appointed to the Levites.

It is mentioned as a place under Philistine power, as David is said to have broken their rulership “from Geba to as far as to Gezer”. It was the last point to which he pursued the Philistines after the battle of Baal-perazim. Later the Pharaoh of Egypt conquered it and gave it as a dowry to Solomon’s wife.

The Water System – a hewn passage to the ground water

The Canaanite Gate

The Canaanite Tower

High Place , Monolith Temple – A shrine area including one stone basin and 10 monoliths each different from the other.

Solomon’s Gate – The southern gate of the Israelite city.

A Judean Juglet – Iron Age

The Gezer Calender - A 10th century B.C. inscription on a small limestone tablet, is the oldest ancient Hebrew document so far discovered.

The Boundary of Gezer – Around Gezer are 10 rocks with an inscription reading “boundary of Gezer” in Hebrew and Greek word that means “of Alkios”. The incription dates from the day of the Hashmoneans and probaly marked the city limits at that time.

Lachish

dgrushko — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:39:34 +0000

Lachish was located in the Shephelah, thirty miles southwest of Jerusalem, along the International Coastal Highway. The site was poorly excavated.

Lachish was first mentioned in the Amarna letters as Lakisha-Lakiša. The Israelites captured and destroyed Lachish for joining the league against the Gibeonites, but the territory was later assigned to the tribe of Judah.

Under Rehoboam, it became the second most important city of the kingdom of Judah. In 701 BC, during the revolt of king Hezekiah against Assyria, it was captured by Sennacherib despite determined resistance. The town later reverted to Judaean control, only to fall to Nebuchadnezzar in his campaign against Judah (586 BC).

A Judean Jug

The Walls and the gate

The city was surrounded by two walls including a lower retaining wall. The approach ramp led to the outer gatehouse which in turn led to the inner triple-chambered gatehouse.

The Chamber of Letters.

The “Letters of Lachish” were found in one of the chambers mentioned above. These letters are considered one of the most important written evidences discovered in Israel- ostracons, earthenware, engraved with ancient Hebrew letters (Da’atz)

The Assyrian Ramp

The mound of earth and stones which the Assyrian forces poured in order to break through the walls of the town.

Arrow Heads

The Palace

The residence of the town governor, selected by the King of Judea

The Well

Sokho

dgrushko — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 19:30:05 +0000

Sokho was located in the Shephelah, guarding the Valley of Elah. Situated on a hill on the southern side of the valley, this city could control local east-west traffic between the Coastal Plain and the Hill Country of Judah. The site has not been excavated.

The Philistines camped between the Ela Valley Sokho and Azekah prior to the encounter of David and Goliath. Rehoboam fortified the place. It was one of the cities occupied temporarily by the Philistines in the time of Ahaz. In that period it served as an administrative or storage center, being one of the four cities named on the la-melekh stamps of the Judean monarchy.

Water Cisterns

A Mishnaic Rabbi Antigonus of Sokho, mentioned in Ethics of the Fathers, likely came from the Hebron-region town. Rabbi Levi Sukia, of the first generation of Amoraim, also came from Sokho.

Wine press

In Byzantine times, Eusebius described Sokho (Σοκχωθ) as a double village at the ninth milestone between Eleutheropolis (Bet Guvrin) and Jerusalem , a center for pottery manufacture. The Madaba Map also depicts Sokho (Σωκω).

Bet-Guvrin , Maresha , Eleutheropolis

dgrushko — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:40:48 +0000

Maresha was one of the cities of Judea during the time of the First Temple and is mentioned among the conquests of the ancient Israelites in the Book of Joshua and later in the Books of Chronicles as one of King Rehoboam’s fortifications.

In the sixth century, as result of Zedekiah’s rebellion against the Babylonian kingdom and its king Nebuchadnezzar II, the latter occupied the Judean kingdom and sent many of its inhabitants into exile. This marked the end of Maresha as a Jewish (or Judean) city.

Following these events, Edomites who had lived south of the Dead Sea migrated north to the area. Hence, from the Persian rule and throughout the Hellenistic kingdoms’ rule in the region (sixth – first century), Maresha was part of the area known as Idumea.

Maresha emerged as a major Edomite city and with the conquest of the region by Alexander the great the city was settled by retired Greek soldiers as was then custom. Thus Maresha developed as a Hellenistic city encompassing a multitude of Greek and oriental cultures including Sidonians and Nabataeans.

The Lower City

Columbarium Cave

A water cistern, which was converted into a columbarium for raising pigeons. In the niches, pigeons were raised for cultic purpose and for food, and their dung was used as fertilizer. In the region, 85 such installations were discovered, containing tens of thousands of niches.

Columbarium cave

was built in the shape of a double cross, more then 2000 niches in it.

The Olive Oil Plant

One of 22 subterranean olive oil plants from the 4th-3rd centuries B.C. discovered in Maresha. In most of them is one crushing installation and two or three lever-and-weights presses for extracting the oil from the olive mash.

The Dwelling House

The House (cave) was used as a dwelling and for trade during the Hellenistic period.

The Sidonian Burial Caves

During the Hellenistic period the Mareshans habitually interred their dead in niches within gabled burial caves.

The city began its decline during the Hasmonean Maccabee rebellion against the Seleucid Empire (second century B.C.) when the city was used as base to combat the rebels.

Following the rebellion and its success, it is believed that the Jewish king John Hyrcanus conquered the city (112 BCE) and forcibly converted its inhabitants. Most opposed the conversion, many abandoned their homes and the city quickly withered into decay.

In 63 BCE, as part of the arrangements made by Pompey in the region, Maresha, along with all of Edom, was separated from the Jewish kingdom and was granted independence.

Maresha was finally destroyed in 40 B.C. by the Parthians as part of the power struggle between Antigonus of the Hasmoneans who had sought their aid and Herod, who was a son of the converted Antipater the Idumaean and was being supported by the Romans.

The area remained barely inhabited until the second century when the Roman city Eleutheropolis was established on the adjacent hills.

The Upper City

In the corner of the upper city, a huge square tower was discovered from the 3rd-2nd century B.C. , and some elaborate buildings courtyards, stairwells and rooms from the Hellenistic period.

The Church of “Sandahanna” – St. Anne

was built during the Byzantine period , and renovated during the Crusader period

Eleutheropolis

In 200 A.D., Emperor Septimus Severus changed Bet-Guvrin’s name to Eleutheropolis (“City of the Free”) and granted it municipal status.

A Roman amphitheater was completely exposed , fights between gladiators, slaves and beasts of prey took place in this amphitheater. In the Byzantine period the amphitheater served as a public market.

The Crusader Church

Shalom for all.

David