Tel Abel Beth Maacah: An Overview of Ten Seasons of Excavations

Ten seasons of excavation at the northernmost tell in Israel have yielded rich remains of occupation from the second and first millennia BCE, specifically the Middle Bronze Age IIB to the Iron Age IIA. This lecture will review the major finds and material-culture features uncovered in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem excavations at this major site, with a focus on the Iron Age–the time of the settlement of the Israelite tribes, the United Monarchy in Jerusalem and the Israelite Kingdom in the north. The excavations revealed a wide range of contexts, including industrial, administrative and cultic settings, which contribute to our understanding of the role of this important site in a critical border region, historically situated between Israel, Phoenicia and Aram.