Prof. Amihai Mazar

The Beth Shean Valley Archaeological Project :

The Beth Shean Valley is a fertile region that was densely inhabited in antiquity, scattered with numerous mounds and other sites. This regional project includes excavations at two major sites in the Beth Shean Valley, Tel Beth Shean and Tel Rehov, as well as a partial archaeological survey of the valley and synthesis of its occupational history in the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Tel Beth Shean
The high mound of Beth Shean dominates the fertile Beth Shean Valley at the junction of the Jezreel and Jordan Valleys. From earliest times, this region has been a strategic crossroads linking the Mediterranean coast with Transjordan, and the southern part of Israel with the Syro-Mespotamian world. Some four thousand years of history have been traced at Beth Shean, making it one of the important archaeological sites in Israel.
Beth Shean was first investigated on a large scale by the University of Pennsylvania expedition from 1921 to 1933, during which time important discoveries were made, mainly regarding the three hundred years of Egyptian rule in Canaan (ca. 1450 to 1150 BCE). Among the finds was the largest group of Egyptian monuments ever found in the Land of Israel. In 1983 Y. Yadin and S. Geva of the Hebrew University conducted a small-scale excavation at the site.
After a break of many years, nine seasons of excavations were carried out the mound from 1989 to 1996 under the direction of Prof. Amihai Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the framework of the large-scale archaeological project at Beth Shean, initiated by the Beth Shean Tourism Organization. The work was carried out in six excavation areas; it enabled reexamination of the results of the previous expedition and the achievement of more precise results, utilizing modern research methods. Among the new discoveries were: an exceptional public building from the Early Bronze I period; Canaanite dwelling quarters of the second millenniun BCE (Middle and Late BronzeAges); a dwelling quarter which served the Egyptian garrison of the 19th-20th Dynasties; reexamination of the Egyptian Residency of the 20th Dynasty and the excavation of a an administrative building of the 19th Dynasty below it; remains of the Iron Age I Canaanite city constructed after termination of the Egyptian presence at Beth Shean; remains of administrative structures dated to the 10th-9th centuries; and a large dwelling house of the Iron Age II period which was destroyed with the rest of the city during the Assyrian conquest in 732 BCE. Remains from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Early Arab and Medieval periods were also revealed.
Two volumes of the final report were published so far in the Qedem series of the Hebrew University. The first (1997) includes all the data relating to stratigraphy and architecture. The second volume, published in 2001, includes all the finds from the Iron Age II (the time of the Israelite monarchy). The third volume was submitted to the editorial board of the Qedem series in April 2004. It includes the finds related to the second millennium BCE, when the site was settled by Canaanites and later by Philistines.
Main researcher: Mrs. Nava Panitz-Cohen.

The many finds from this excavation are being processed and prepared for publication. Four volumes of the final report are planned:
Vol. I: The excavations below the Egyptian residence and the finds from the Iron Age II and Hellenistic to Medieval periods (editor: A. Mazar). This volume is currently being copy-edited and will be submitted to the press during 2004.
Vol. II: The finds from the Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age I-IIA. This volume is based on materials included in Ph. D. dissertations by A. Maeir and B. Mullins, supervised by A. Mazar. The volume will be submitted to the press in 2005.
Vol. III: The Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I in Areas S and N (in preparation).
Vol. IV: The Early Bronze Age in Areas R and M (in preparation).

	Tel Rehov: Aerial view in 2001, looking south (Photo: Albatross)
	Tel Rehov: Area C in 2000, looking south, showing structures of the 10th-9th centuries BCE (Photo: J. Camp)

Tel Rehov (www.rehov.org)
Tel Rehov is the largest ancient Canaanite and Israelite site in the Beth Shean Valley and one of the largest occupation mounds in Israel. The town is mentioned in several Egyptian sources of the New Kingdom (15th-12th centuries BCE) as well as in the list of cities conquered by Shoshenq I. Although it is not mentioned directly in the Bible, there is no doubt that it was a major city during the premonarchic and monarchic periods.
The first six seasons of excavations, from 1997-2003, have revealed successive occupational layers from the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age (12th-8th centuries BCE). Large and well-preserved buildings from three occupation layers date from the 10th-9th centuries BCE (the time of the United Monarchy of David and Solomon and the Divided Monarchy under Omri and Ahab). Remains of the Iron Age II city, which was violently destroyed by the Assyrians in 732 BCE, include an eight-meter-wide mudbrick wall around the acropolis. Evidence of the Assyrian slaughter was found in the destroyed houses of the 8th century BCE.

Tel Rehov: A horned pottery altar, 10th century BCE (Photo: G. Laron)

The finds included abundant restorable pottery vessels, unique pottery cult stands, clay figurines, seals and other objects from the Iron Age II city. Tel Rehov has become a major site for studying the Iron Age period in Israel. The next excavation season is planned for 2005.

The Tel Rehov excavations and the publications of the Beth Shean Valley archaeological project are supported by Mr. John Camp.