Khirbet el-Mastarah is an archaeological site that includes the largest of the complex oval compound type habitation sites located in the middle Jordan Valley in the West Bank.
Location
Khirbet el-Masratah is located 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Jericho and 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Ain Aujah in Wadi Auja on a small hill hidden by three larger hills. These surrounding hills cause the 1.0-hectare (2.5-acre) site to be hidden from view.
Excavation history
The site was discovered and surveyed in April 2004 by Adam Zertal during the course of the Manasseh Hill Country Survey.
An excavation directed by David Ben-Shlomo and Ralph K. Hawkins took place in June 2017. During the course of the excavation a number of large and small rounded and oval enclosures of single-course limestone rubble walls were discovered, all of them almost entirely empty of finds.
Significance
The site's hidden location most probably indicates the presence of a new population migrating to the central hill country from the east during Iron I, avoiding contact with the native population. On this basis the excavation directors believe the site is possibly an early Israelite site, constructed during the early stages of the Israelite Settlement.
References
Bibliography
- Ben-Shlomo, David; Hawkins, Ralph K. (2017). "Excavations at Khirbet el Mastarah, the Jordan Valley, 2017". Judea and Samaria Studies. 26 (2). Ariel University Publishing. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- Ben-Shlomo, David; Hawkins (July–August 2018). "Khirbet el-Mastarah: An Early Israelite Settlement?". Biblical Archaeology Review. 9 (5).
- Zertal, Adam (2012). The Manasseh Hill Country Survey, Vol. V: The Middle Jordan Valley (from Wadi Fasael to Wadi 'Aujah) (in Hebrew). University of Haifa.
External links
- Jordan Valley Excavation Project - Khirbet el-Mastarah
- Biblical Archaeology Society - Khirbet el-Mastarah Dig information
- Haaretz article: Is This Where the Israelites Camped on Their Way to Canaan 3,200 Years Ago?(subscription required)
