Tel Taanach, or Tell Ti’inik in Arabic, is an archaeological site situated on the border between the Samarian Highlands and the Jezreel Valley, midway between Megiddo and Jenin. Spanning about 110 dunams, it holds remnants from the Bronze and Iron Ages (at the mound’s head), and the Roman period onwards in the southeastern part, where the Arab village of Ti’inik stands today. Identified with the biblical city of Taanach in the territory of Manasseh (Judges 1:27), Taanach was a significant Canaanite city in the Late Bronze Age, mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions. Taanach was a city in the Israelite domain, later serving both the Assyrian Empire and the Kingdom of Judah in its final days.
Research history
The site was excavated by three expeditions: (1) A mission commissioned by the German Oriental Society, led by Austrian researcher Ernst Sellin, which excavated the site from 1902 to 1904. (2) An expedition sponsored by the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem and Concordia Theological Seminary in the USA, led by American researcher Paul Lapp, which conducted excavations in 1963, 1966, and 1968. Lapp passed away in 1970, halting the excavation and delaying the publication of reports for many years. In recent years, a project has been initiated to publish the findings and stratigraphy reports from Lapp’s expedition. (3) An expedition from Birzeit University led by Albert Glock, until his murder in 1992. This mission primarily focused on excavating Byzantine, Mamluk, and Ottoman remnants of the village of Ti’inik, located at the foothills of the tel.
The inception of settlement at Tel Taanach and the Canaanite city
The site was initially settled towards the conclusion of the Early Bronze Age (2600-2700 BC). It featured fortified structures that underwent extensive renovations, suggestive of a well-organized administrative apparatus. Subsequently, during the Intermediate Bronze Age (2500-2000 BC), the site witnessed a decline. However, in the Middle Bronze Age (1550-1700 BCE), the settlement in Taanach experienced a resurgence, reaching its zenith. Noteworthy were its fortified defenses, including a casemate wall, an intricate street layout, and a vibrant residential district. Numerous scarabs dating to this era further underscore its significance.
Around 1550 BCE, the settlement was destroyed and quickly rebuilt. During the 15th century BCE, Taanach was mentioned in several Egyptian texts from the time of Thutmose III. These references underscore the significance of Taanach during this period. Additionally, from this era, we have the “Taanach Letters,” a collection of 12 clay tablets with texts in cuneiform script found in excavations at Taanach. These letters indicate that the governor of Taanach at the end of the 15th century BCE was called Telushar, who was instructed to send reinforcements to Amenhotep, the Egyptian official stationed in Gaza. In the Al-Amarna letters from the 14th century BCE, it is recounted that the people of Taanach raided YSHDT, which was likely a nearby city governed from Megiddo. By the 13th century BCE, the site at Taanach diminished. Discoveries from this period include both Mycenaean and local pottery.
The Iron Age: Israelite, Assyrian and Judahite settlements
At the beginning of the Iron Age (around the 12th century BCE), the settlement at the site was refurbished, and the Late Bronze Age wall was put back into use. The inhabitants of this period engaged in agriculture and sheep herding, and a bronze industry began to develop at the site. Evidence of Taanach’s involvement in regional trade comes from a small cuneiform tablet noting a supply of flour from a settlement named ‘Kokhaba.’ This period also includes a cone-shaped seal depicting a nursing goat and a scorpion.
The settlement experienced several cycles of destruction and rebuilding throughout the late Iron Age I and early Iron Age II (10th-11th centuries BCE), reflecting shifts in political control in the region. During this time, Taanach developed an iron and olive oil industry, and the city served as an administrative center, possibly during the reign of King Solomon, as indicated by the fortress built on the tell. Notable finds from this period include a splendid cultic stand.
10th century Terracota cultic stand. (By oncenawhile – Istanbul Archaeology Museums, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34520819)
Around 920 BCE, Taanach was destroyed during the campaign of Shishak. The settlement was rebuilt in the 9th century BCE as an administrative center of the Kingdom of Israel, only to be abandoned in the mid-8th century BCE. The Assyrians revived the settlement in the late 8th century BCE as part of their northern district. However, it was abandoned again at the beginning of the 7th century BCE, possibly due to destruction. The settlement was renewed by the Kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 7th century, until it was abandoned around the Babylonian period (late 7th – early 6th century BCE). Artifacts from this phase include an Egyptian figurine from the time of Pharaoh Psamtik I and Judahite pillar figurines.
The Persian, Roman-Byzantine, and Medieval Periods
Taanach was rebuilt during the Persian period (mid-5th century BCE) as a fortified settlement but was abandoned again around the late 5th or early 4th century BCE. The metal industry experienced some renewal during this time. Artifacts from this period include imported items from Cyprus and Greece, notably high-quality Attic pottery.
Findings from the Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as the Middle Ages, have been uncovered at the site. A prominent feature currently visible on the tell is an Islamic fortress from the Abbasid period (11th century CE). During the Ottoman period, the Arab village of Ti’inik grew, primarily on the site’s later remnants. Today, the tell partially lies within Area B of the Palestinian Authority.
Sources:
Keel O., ‘The Glyptics from the Excavations at Tell Ta’annek 1963-1968’, in: Lisella A. R. and others (eds.), Figurines to Bones: Studies of Some Finds from the 1963-1968 Excavations at Tell Ta’annek, Ramallah 2015, pp. 143-177.
Lisella A. R., ‘Clay Figurines from Tell Ta‘annek’, in: Córdoba J. M. and others (eds.), Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, II, Madrid 2008, pp. 361-377.
Meehl M. W., TaanachII: The Iron Age Stratigraphy, Alexandria, VA 2022.
Wakeman R. H., A Stratigraphic Analysis of the Middle Bronze Age from the Tell Taanach Excavations in 1963, ’66 and ’68 (PhD Dissertation), Berrien Springs, MI 2020.
Biblical Hiking map