The ancient city of Dor is identified with tel Dor (Arabic: Khirbet el-Burj), which stretches over 250 dunams and sits 14 m. above sea level on the Mediterranean coast. To its west, there are three natural bays. Its identification was based on Greek and Latin sources describing it to be around 7 miles north of Caesarea. It seems that in ancient times the city was surrounded by water on all sides, except for a narrow strip of land connecting it to the shore. Dor’s location made it an important maritime entry and exit gate in the Southern Levant, and a culturally rich commercial city, as is evident in the archaeological remains.
The city of Dor is mentioned in the Bible in stories about the beginning of Israel: it appears first in the episode of the conquest of the land as one of the Canaanite cities conquered; in the Judges period as a city in Manasseh’s possession, though the Israelites did not inhabit it; and as a city in Solomon’s kingdom. Dor is also mentioned in ancient Egyptian sources: in one of Ramses II’s inscriptions (13th century BCE), and in the “Story of Wenamun” (12th century BCE), where it is mentioned as a strong port city. Its inhabitants are called “SKL,” which is the name of a group associated with the 12th century BCE invasions to Egypt from the sea, and which lived along the Canaanite coast, north of the Philistines and south of the Sherden.
Research history
Archaeological research in Dor began in the 1920s, directed by John Garstang on behalf of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. It continued in the 1950s under the direction of Yosef Leibowitz, and in 1979-1983 under Claudine Dauphin, on behalf of the Antiquities and Museums Division. Excavations directed by Ephraim Stern on behalf of the Hebrew University, the Society for the Investigation of the Land of Israel and its Antiquities, and other Israeli and international institutes took place between 1980-2000. As of 2003, the tel is excavated under the direction of Ilan Sharon on behalf of the Hebrew University, and Ayelet Gilboa on behalf of the University of Haifa.
The Canaanite City of Dor (until the 12th century BCE)
The settlement in Dor began with a port city dating to the Middle Bronze Age. Its excavation revealed some building remains, but mostly sherds of local and imported vessels (from Cyprus and Egypt). The Late Bronze Age city (15th-13th centuries BCE) is a mystery: even though it is mentioned as an important Canaanite city, no building remains were found from that period. However, there were sherds found, some of them of imported vessels from Cyprus and Mycenae, and scarabs. Underwater research identified remains of built harbor docks from around the 13th century BCE.
The Phoenician Port City (11th-10th centuries BCE)
In the 12th-11th centuries BCE, to which the Egyptian ‘Story of Wenamun’ papyrus is dated, Dor was a fortified settlement and eventually destroyed in a fire. In the second half of the 11th century BCE, a period during which most of the Mediterranean trade was significantly reduced, the settlement was renewed as a prospering trade center. Domestic and public buildings were found from the period, with unique Phoenician and Cypriot pottery and an ivory plate. Later in the period, the city expanded and new fortifications were built.
Israelite Port City (9th-8th centuries BCE)
In the 9th century BCE, Dor probably came under the rule of the Kingdom of Israel. The “four-chambered” gate that was found from the period resembles the one found in Megiddo. In 732 BCE the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III conquered the Israelite kingdom’s coastline, and in 720 BCE the entire kingdom was conquered by Sargon II. Dor became the capital of the ‘Duru’ province and served the Assyrians as an important port city. The Israelite gate was replaced by a “two-chamber” Assyrian gate, and there were Assyrian seals and pottery found from the period, as well as Phoenician pottery and art (among it figurines and ivories).
Occupation and Bloom – The Persian Period (6th-4th centuries BCE)
In the Persian period, the city of Dor was given to the kingdom of Sidon, under which it flourished. Both Phoenician and Greek influences are evident in the material culture. A well-planned city was built, with impressive buildings constructed in the Phoenician style, and industries, such as metal, the prestigious purple color dye, and perhaps glass. Pottery, figurines, stone statues, jewelry, Phoenician and Greek coins and inscription were found in it.
The Hellenistic Period (4th-1st centuries BCE)
Dor is mentioned in writings from the Hellenistic period as a small but important polis, well-fortified, and difficult to conquer. The Hellenistic city preserved the Persian urban plan, as well as the Phoenician construction style, and the industries, including purple-dye production, and temples were erected. The material culture continues to show both Phoenician and Greek influences. During the period, the city came under Hasmonean control and stayed so until the Roman conquest, after which it continued to grow. The city served the Romans during the Great Revolt (66-70 AD), but in the 3rd century AD, it was reduced to a village. In the 4th-7th centuries AD, the settlement was moved east of the tel and became a Christian center that was eventually deserted. In the Middle Ages, a small fort was erected on the tel.
Sources
Stern, E. (1992). Dor. In E. Stern (Ed.), The new encyclopedia of archaeological excavations in the land of Israel. Society for the Exploration of the Land of Israel and its Antiquities, Ministry of Defense – Publications, Carta Jerusalem.
Stern, E. (1995). Excavations at Dor, Final Report [Monograph]. Qedem Reports 1.
Tel Dor Excavation Project website. Retrieved May 11, 2023. https://dor.huji.ac.il/index.html
Waxman, S., & Rave, K. (1992). Dor-sea. In E. Stern (Ed.), The new encyclopedia of archaeological excavations in the land of Israel. Society for the Exploration of the Land of Israel and its Antiquities, Ministry of Defense – Publications, Carta Jerusalem.
Biblical Hiking map