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Tel Hazor

House of Pillars at Hazor
Shown within Israel
Location Tell el-Qedah, Israel
Region Upper Galilee
Coordinates 3310N 35341E
Type Settlement
History
Abandoned 732 BC
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tel Hazor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tel Hazor (Hebrew: ), also Hatzor and Tell el-
Qedah, is an archaeological tell at the site of ancient
Hazor, located in the Upper Galilee, north of the Sea of
Galilee, in the southern Hula Valley overlooking Lake
Merom. In the Middle Bronze Age (around 1750 BCE)
and the Israelite period (ninth century BCE), Hazor was
the largest fortified city in the country and one of the
most important in the Fertile Crescent. It maintained
commercial ties with Babylon and Syria, and imported
large quantities of tin for the bronze industry. In the Book
of Joshua, Hazor is described as the head of all those
kingdoms (Josh. 11:10).
The Hazor expedition headed by Yigal Yadin in the mid-
1950s was the most important dig undertaken by Israel in
its early years of statehood. Tel Hazor is the largest
archaeological site in northern Israel, featuring an upper
tell of 30 acres and a lower city of more than 175 acres.
[1]
In 2005, the remains of Hazor were designated a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO as part of the Biblical Tels -
Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Canaanite Hazor
1.2 Israelite Hazor
2 Excavations
3 See also
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links
History
Canaanite Hazor
Coordinates: 3310N 35341E
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Official name: Biblical Tells Megiddo, Hazor,
Beer Sheba
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iii, iv, vi
Designated 2005 (29th session)
Reference No. 1108
(http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1108)
State Party Israel
Region Asia-Pacific
Archaeological remains at Hazor
Aerial photo of Tel Hazor
During the Egyptian Second Intermediate Period and
early New Kingdoms (together running between 18th
century BC and 13th century BC), Canaan was an
Egyptian vassal state; thus 14th century documents, from
the El Amarna archive in Egypt, describe the king of
Hazor (in Amarna letters called Hasura), Abdi-Tirshi, as
swearing loyalty to the Egyptian pharaoh. However, EA
148 specifically reports that Hasura's king had gone over
to the Habiru, who were invading Canaan. In these
documents, Hazor is described as an important city in
Canaan. Hazor is also mentioned in the Execration texts,
that pre-date the Amarna letters, and in 18th century BCE
documents found in Mari on the Euphrates River.
According to the Book of Joshua Hazor was the seat of Jabin, a
powerful Canaanite king that led a Canaanite confederation
against Joshua, but was defeated by Joshua, who burnt Hazor to
the ground.
[2]
According to the Book of Judges Hazor was the
seat of Jabin, the king of Canaan, whose commander, Sisera, led
a Canaanite army against Barak, but was ultimately defeated.
[3]
Textual scholars believe that the prose account of Barak, which
differs from the poetic account in the Song of Deborah, is a
conflation of accounts of two separate events, one concerning
Barak and Sisera like the poetic account, the other concerning
Jabin's confederation and defeat.
[4]
In addition, the Book of
Judges and Book of Joshua may be parallel accounts referring to
the same events, rather than describing different time periods,
[4][5]
and thus they may refer to the same
Jabin, a powerful king based in Hazor, whose Canaanite confederation was defeated by an Israelite army.
[6]
Israel Finkelstein claims that the Israelites emerged as a
subculture within Canaanite society and rejects the biblical
account of the Israelite conquest of Canaan.
[7]
In this view, the
Book of Joshua conflates several independent battles between
disparate groups over the centuries, and artificially attributes
them to a single leader, Joshua.
[4]
Nevertheless, one
archaeological stratum, dating from around 1200 BC, shows
signs of catastrophic fire, and cuneiform tablets found at the site
refer to monarchs named Ibni Addi, where Ibni may be the
etymological origin of Yavin (Jabin).[1]
(http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early%20History%20-
%20Archaeology/Hatzor%20-
%20The%20Head%20of%20all%20those%20Kingdoms)
[7]
The
city also show signs of having been a magnificent Canaanite city prior to its destruction, with great temples
and opulent palaces,
[7]
split into an upper acropolis, and lower city; the town evidently had been a major
10/8/2014 Tel Hazor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Chambered gate from the Israelite period.
Canaanite city. He theorized that the destruction of Hazor was the result of civil strife, attacks by the Sea
Peoples, and/or a result of the general collapse of civilization across the whole eastern Mediterranean in the
Late Bronze Age.
[7]
Amnon Ben-Tor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem believes that recently unearthed evidence of violent
destruction by burning verifies the Biblical account.
[8]
In 2012, a team led Ben-Tor and Sharon Zuckerman
discovered a scorched palace from the 13th century BCE in whose storerooms they found 3,400 year old
ewers holding burned crops; however, Sharon Zuckerman did not agree with Ben-Tor's theory, and claimed
that the burning was the result of the city's numerous factions opposing each other with excessive force.
[9]
Israelite Hazor
The archaeological remains suggest that after its destruction, the
city of Hazor was rebuilt as a minor village within "the territory
of Naphtali" (Joshua 19:36).
[10]
According to the Books of
Kings, the town, along with Megiddo, and Gezer, was
substantially fortified and expanded by Solomon.
[11]
Like
Megiddo and Gezer, the remains at Hazor show that during the
Early Iron Age the town gained a highly distinctive six
chambered gate, as well as a characteristic style to its
administration buildings; archaeologists determined that these
constructions at Hazor were built by the same leadership as
those at Megiddo and Gezer.
[7]
By reference to the Books of
Kings, some archaeologists conclude that these remains verify
the Biblical accountthat they were constructed in the tenth century by King Solomon;
[12]
others date these
structures to the early 9th century BC, during the reign of the Omrides.
[7]
Yigael Yadin, one of the earliest archaeologists to work on the site, saw certain features as clearly being
Omride; Megiddo, Gezer, and Hazor, all feature deep rock cut pits, from the base of which were rock cut
tunnels leading to a well that reached the water table, as water-supply systems, which Yadin attributed to the
rule of Ahab;
[7]
Yadin also attributed to Ahab a citadel, measuring 25 x 21 m, with two-meter thick walls,
which was erected in the western part of Hazor. However, Yadin's dating was based on the assumption that
the layer connected with the gates and administration buildings were built by Solomon.
[7]
Archaeological remains indicate that towards the later half of the 9th century BC, when the king of Israel
was Jehu, Hazor fell into the control of Aram Damascus.
[7]
Some archaeologists suspect that subsequent to
this conquest Hazor was rebuilt by Aram, probably as an Aramaean city.
[7]
When the Assyrians later
defeated the Aramaeans, Hazor seemingly returned to Israelite control; Assyrian records indicate that Joash,
king of Israel at the time, had paid tribute to Assyria and Israel had become an Assyrian vassal.
[7]
Subsequently, the town, along with the remainder of the kingdom of Israel, entered a period of great
prosperity, particularly during the rule of Jeroboam II. Some archaeologists attribute the later large scale
constructions at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer, including the rock cut water supply systems, to this era.
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Israel's attempted rebellion against Assyrian domination resulted in an invasion by the forces of the
Assyrian ruler, Tiglath-Pileser III; the evidence on the ground suggests that hasty attempts were made to
reinforce the defenses of Hazor.
[7]
Despite the defences, in 732 BC Hazor was captured, its population
deported,
[7][13]
and the city was burnt to the ground.
[7][14]
Excavations
The site of Hazor is around 200 acres (0.81 km
2
) in area, with an upper city making up about 1/8 of that.
The upper mound has a height of about 40 meters. Initial soundings were carried out by John Garstang in
1926.
[15]
Major excavations were conducted for 4 seasons from 1955-1958 by a Hebrew University team led by
Yigael Yadin.
[16][17][18]
Yadin returned to Hazor for a final season of excavation in 1968.
[19]
The
excavations were supported by James A. de Rothschild, and were published in a dedicated five volume set
of books by the Israel Exploration Society.
Excavation at the site by Hebrew University, joined by the Complutense University of Madrid, resumed in
1990 under Amnon Ben-Tor.
Findings from the dig are housed in a museum at Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar. In 2008, some artifacts in the
museum were damaged in an earthquake.
[20]
In 2010, a clay tablet was discovered dating from the 18th or 17th centuries BCE inscribed with laws in the
style of Hammurabi's Code. The document includes laws pertaining to body parts and damages, similar to
laws such as "an eye for an eye" that appear in the Book of Exodus. The document is written in Akkadian
cuneiform, the diplomatic language of the period.
[21]
See also
Archaeology of Israel
Cities of the ancient Near East
National parks and nature reserves of Israel
References
1. ^ Scorched wheat may provide answers on the destruction of Canaanite Tel Hazor
(http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/scorched-wheat-may-provide-answers-on-the-destruction-of-
canaanite-tel-hazor/)
2. ^ Joshua 11:1-5, 11:10-13
3. ^ Judges 4
4. ^
a

b

c
Peake's commentary on the Bible
5. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, Book of Joshua, Book of Judges
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6. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, Jabin
7. ^
a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n
Israel Finkelstein, The Bible Unearthed
8. ^ http://unixware.mscc.huji.ac.il/~hatsor/hazor.html
9. ^ A 3,400 year old mystery: Who burned the palace of Canaanite Hatzor,
(http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/a-3-400-year-old-mystery-who-burned-the-palace-of-canaanite-hatzor-
1.453095) Haaretz
10. ^ Negev,Avraham/Gibson,Shimon, Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land, New York/London 2001,
p.220, ISBN 0-8264-1316-1 (English)
11. ^ 1 Kings 9:15
12. ^ William G. Dever, What Did the Biblical Writers Know, and when Did They Know It?
(http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6-VxwC5rQtwC&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43) 2002 p.43
13. ^ 2 Kings 15:29
14. ^ However, the correlation between the destruction of Stratum V with Tiglath-Pileser III's campaign has been
challenged; cf. P. James, "The Alleged 'Anchor Point' of 732 BC for the Destruction of Hazor V"
(http://www.centuries.co.uk/hazor.pdf), AntOr 6 (2008).
15. ^ John Garstang, History in the Bible, American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 3, no. 3, Essays in
Memory of Franz Oppenheimer 1864-1943, pp. 371-385, 1944
16. ^ Yigal Yadin, Excavations at Hazor, The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 19, no. 1 , pp. 2-11, 1956
17. ^ Yigal Yadin, The Third Season of Excavation at Hazor 1957, The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 30-
47, 1958
18. ^ Yigal Yadin, The Fourth Season of Excavations at Hazor, The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 2-20,
1959
19. ^ Yigal Yadin, The Fifth Season of Excavations at Hazor 1968-1969, The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 32, no. 3,
pp. 50-71, 1968
20. ^ http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/images/printed/P020308/a.a.0203.430.1.9.jpg
21. ^ 'Hammurabi-like' cuneiform discovered at Tel Hazor, (http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/hammurabi-
like-cuneiform-discovered-at-tel-hazor-1.304266) Haaretz
Further reading
Yadin Yigael and Et Al. Yadin, Hazor I : An Account of the First Season of Excavations, 1955,
Magnes Press, 1958
Yadin Yigael, Hazor II: An Account of the Second Season of Excavations, 1956 [James A. De
Rothschild Expedition at Hazor], Oxford University Press, 1961, ISBN 0-19-647165-6
Yadin Yigael, Hazor III - IV. An Account of the Third and Fourth Seasons of Excavations, 1957-
1958. The James A. De Rothschild Expedition at Hazor, Biblical Archaeology Society, 1989, ISBN
965-221-008-0
A. Ben Tor and Robert Bonfil, Hazor: v. 5: The James A De Rothschild Expedition at Hazor (Ancient
synagogues studies), Israel Exploration Society, 1997, ISBN 965-221-003-X
Yadin Yigael, Hazor (Schweich Lectures on Biblical Archaeology), British Academy, 1972, ISBN 0-
10/8/2014 Tel Hazor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Hazor 6/6
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Hatzor.
19-725925-1
Yadin Yigael, Hazor: Rediscovery of a Great Citadel of the Bible, Littlehampton, 1975, ISBN 0-297-
76845-X
Schulamit Geva, Hazor, Israel (British Archaeological Reports (BAR)), BAR, 1989, ISBN 0-86054-
689-6
S. Zuckerman, Where is the Archive of Hazor Buried?, Biblical Archaeology Review, vol. 32, pp. 28
37, 2006
S. Zuckerman, "'...Slaying oxen and Killing Sheep, Eating Flesh and Drinking Wine...': Feasting in
Late Bronze Age Hazor," Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 139,3 (2007), 186-204.
External links
The Hazor Excavations Project (http://hazor.huji.ac.il) -
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
"Yadin photographs & footage of the excavations"
(http://www.yadinproductions.com/yadin_archeology.html)
The Hazor Excavation Reports (http://hazor.huji.ac.il/hazorbooks.htm) - Hebrew University of
Jerusalem
UNESCO World Heritage site for Hazor (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1108)
Shelby White - Leon Levy grant to publish current digs
(http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~semitic/wl/digsites/NLevant/Tel-Hazor_09/index.htm)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tel_Hazor&oldid=622969006"
Categories: World Heritage Sites in Israel History of Israel Archaeological sites in Israel
National parks of Israel Amarna letters locations Canaanite cities
Former populated places in Southwest Asia Buildings and structures in Northern District (Israel)
Bronze Age palaces in Israel
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