Location
Ḥorvat Ṭevet is located in the Jezreel Valley, at the foothills of the Ha-More Hill, northeast of the modern town of ‘Afula.
History
The site is believed to have been occupied from the Late Bronze Age to the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries CE). The most significant finds from the site date to the Iron Age II, when it is believed to have been a royal agricultural estate and redistribution center for agricultural output in the service of the royal Israelite elite. It offers insight into the early monarchic Israel’s royal economy. The site has undergone extensive excavations revealing nine occupation levels from the Late Bronze Age I to the late Roman or Byzantine periods
Biblical Context
The site is thought to be part of the tribal lands of Issachar, as mentioned in the Bible, and may be identified with the biblical Anaharath..
Excavations
The site was first excavated in the 1980s by the Israel Antiquities Authority, and has been the subject of renewed excavations since 2014.
Findings
- A Late Bronze Age I sanctuary.
- Iron I–early Iron IIA cemetery.
- Iron Age IIC Building Complex: A large administrative complex from this period was discovered, indicating the site’s role under Assyrian and Babylonian dominion.
- Storage Facilities: The presence of substantial storage facilities, including a large number of storage vessels and silos, suggests the site functioned as a major agricultural collection and redistribution center.
- “Hippo” Storage Jars: These jars, standardized in size and form and often bearing inscriptions or stamped handles, indicate centralized production and an administrative purpose, likely for redistributing agricultural surplus.
Sources
Ḥorvat Ṭevet in the Jezreel Valley: A Royal Israelite Estate
Omer Sergi,i Hannes Bezzel,ii Yoav Tsuriii and Karen Covello-Paraniii
Biblical Hiking map