Tel Ekron, also known as Tel Miqne or Khirbet al-Muqanna’, is an archaeological site located in Israel. It is situated approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem and 15 kilometers northeast of Ashdod. The site is believed to have been inhabited continuously from the Bronze Age until the Byzantine period.
Tel Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities, along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Gaza. It was strategically located on the border between the Philistine and Judean kingdoms, making it a site of frequent conflict between the two powers.
Excavations at Tel Ekron have uncovered numerous artifacts and structures from different periods of the site’s history. Among the most significant finds are a Philistine temple and a large administrative building dating to the 7th century BCE. The temple contains evidence of ritual sacrifice, including animal bones and altars, while the administrative building has been interpreted as the headquarters of the Philistine rulers of Ekron.
Other notable discoveries at Tel Ekron include a large stone statue of a seated person, believed to represent a Philistine deity, and a cache of more than 500 ostraca (inscribed potsherds) containing administrative texts from the 7th century BCE. These texts provide important information about the economy, social structure, and political organization of the Philistine city-state.
Today, Tel Ekron is a popular destination for tourists and scholars interested in the archaeology and history of the ancient Near East. Its location in a region of ongoing conflict has made excavation and preservation efforts challenging, but ongoing work at the site continues to shed new light on the rich and complex history of this important Philistine city