Horvat Midras

Horvat Midras, located about 15 km southwest of Beit Shemesh, is a key site for understanding the history of the rural settlement in the Judean Shephelah during the Roman period. Although the site has never been extensively excavated, a survey of underground artificial cavities, and small scale excavations showed that the Early Roman settlement was larger and richer than neighboring rural sites. The archaeological data supports the suggestion put forward by some scholars, that the site was re-founded by King Herod, whose family originated from the region of Idumaea. This background led us to start a research project at the ancient site. This project deals with continuity and change in the rural areas of ​​Judea from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine period. In the course of this project, two survey seasons and four seasons of excavations were conducted between 2015 and 2020.

The excavations brought to light a fascinating picture of the settlement phases at the site. They also revealed monumental construction projects that are exceptional in rural construction. The first - a large pyramidal mental structure (10 x 10 m) at the top of the hill, which forms part of an impressive burial complex of the late Second Temple period. The second - a large ashlar-built podium (~ 20 x 20 m), which is an impressive remnant of a ritual complex erected at the western end of the site, overlooking the main road that passes at its feet. The complex was erected by the Roman administration after the Bar Kokhba Revolt to indicate Roman regained control of the region that until the Bar Kokhba revolt was densely settled by Jewish population.

 

 

Publications:

Peleg-Barkat O., 2017. "Field Notes: The Second Season of Excavation at Horvat Midras," Strata: The Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 35: 179-186.

Peleg-Barkat O. (PI), and Chernin M., 2018, "At the Top of the Pyramid: A Pyramidal Funerary Monument at Horvat Midras," in: Uziel J., Gadot Y., Zelinger Y., Peleg-Barkat O. and Gutfeld O. (eds.), New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region – Collected Papers, Vol. XII, Jerusalem, pp. 115-133 (Hebrew).

Peleg-Barkat O. (PI) and Klein E., 2019, "Ritual Complexes along Main Roads in Judea Subsequent to the Bar Kokhba Revolt: Means for Demonstrating New Roman Control? - Horvat Midras as Test Case," in: Peleg-Barkat O., Zelinger Y., Uziel J. and Gadot Y. (eds.), New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region – Collected Papers, Vol. XIII, Jerusalem, pp. 249-269 (Hebrew).

Rogovski T., Peleg-Barkat O., Terem S., Zissu B., 2018. "Back to Horvat Midras: Preliminary Report on the Archaeological Survey and Documentation of Underground Cavities (2015-2016), In the Highland's Depth – Ephraim Range and Binyamin Research Studies, Vol. VIII: 103-122 (Hebrew with English abstract).

You can follow the Horvat Midras excavations on Facebook at this link.

Excavation website: https://horvatmidras.huji.ac.il/