52:
59:
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720:, was discovered and dated specifically to a period between 679 and 630 BCE. It is believed to have been the seat of a military governor or general. As preserved, the structure measures 12.5 m long and 10 m wide. The original length of the structure is unknown because of previous archaeological work of Petrie and due to
665:
Only a small part of the settlement of the 10th to 8th centuries BCE was excavated. The main part of these settlements was located mostly on the western side of the site. At least two fortification systems of that period were discovered. The better-preserved wall was constructed in the 8th century
617:
The most prominent archaeological feature of this period is a huge structure (19x16 meters) which served as either a palace or a large house with a big courthouse. This settlement was the first to be fortified. Remains of the wall and a gateway are found in the northeast side of the mound. A large
541:
period. The people were hunters and farmers and it was one of the small settlements which existed along the Besor Stream. This settlement lasted for only 200 years. From then the site was abandoned for more than a thousand years as the region became a hub for nomadism.
519:
inscriptions. Circular structures initially discovered by Petrie were deemed "beehive granaries" which was later, at first, confirmed in the Van Beck excavation. Further work by that team showed that they were actually conventional granaries. Four seventh century BC
488:; and Orda, in documents from the Byzantine period. Today, most scholars accept this identification. The association of Tell Jemmeha with Yursa is based on the site's prominence and strategic positing, controlling the coastal route on the southernmost edge of the
362:. This orientation of the sites suggests it was a border zone. The ancient inhabitants of Tell Jemmeh probably depended on spring water from the nearby Besor Stream. Most of the building material used in the site is sun-dried mudbrick.
743:
ruled the region. Tell Jemmeh transformed into a significant grain storage center, and the residents moved to settle in the areas around the hill. The site was finally deserted at the beginning of the 2nd century BC.
394:
The site of Tell Jemmeh is a mound located on the southern bank of the Besor River. The natural hill is about 45 meters high, with the accumulation of layers representing human activity, spanning from the
515:. They returned to the site four more times between 1982 and 1990. The expedition, headed by Gus W. Van Beek, found evidence to support Mazar's identification, and also identified the site with Arsa from
369:
period, six thousand years ago. It was inhabited for 200 years and then abandoned until it was rebuilt in the Middle Bronze Age. From here the site would be settled for 1,600 years. It is identified with
953:
Wapnish, Paula, and Brian Hesse, "Urbanization and the
Organization of Animal Production at Tell Jemmeh in the Middle Bronze Age Levant", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 81–94, 1988
864:
727:
The
Assyrians built a new casemate wall atop of the destroyed eighth-century wall. The large Assyrian structure was still in use after Esarhaddon's death in 660 BCE, as it was during the reign of
713:
Esarhaddon probably built a military camp at Tell Jemmeh to defend the new frontier of his empire and to use as a base camp in his later campaigns against the
Egyptians in 674, 671 and 669 BCE.
724:. The structure has at least six rooms, three large and long and three short and small. Its plan corresponds with common Assyrian buildings (categorised as "Reception Suite Type F").
706:, the son of Sennacherib, is mentioned in some texts as having taken a city called Arsa near the River of Egypt, and its king Asuhili was taken back to the Assyrian capital
590:. One of the passages in the story of Thutmose's conquests states that Sharuhen remained loyal to the Pharaoh and served as a garrison town, while Yursa turned on Egypt.
930:
NAVEH, JOSEPH, "Writing and
Scripts in Seventh-Century B.C.E. Philistia: The New Evidence from Tell Jemmeh", Israel Exploration Journal, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 8–21, 1985
662:
in Israel was found in Tell Jemmeh. It was an enormous, technologically advanced installation, the most prominent structure discovered from the
Philistine period.
429:
866:
Sparks, Rachael Thyrza, "Digging with Petrie: Gerald
Lankester Harding at Tell Jemmeh, 1926–1927", Bulletin of the History of Archaeology 29.1, pp. 1-16, 2019
555:
A settlement appeared during the Middle Bronze Age II period, around 1800 BCE. The site saw continuous human settlement for the next 1600 years.
1008:
988:
104:
921:
Van Beek, Gus W., "Are There
Beehive Granaries at Tell Jemmeh? A Rejoinder", The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 245–47, 1986
503:
The next excavation of the site was spread across nine seasons from 1970 to 1978 and was conducted by a team of archaeologists from the
411:
of the Besor River located on the north side of the mound. This phenomenon is intensified because of the fragile character of the local
968:
963:
358:. Tell Jemmeh is located about 10 kilometres from Tell el-Farah (South) and Tell el-Ajjul, which allows for them to communicate by
1013:
571:, to which Tell Jemmeh belongs, was under the control of the Egyptian Empire and the city at Tell Jemmeh saw its height as well.
456:
site called Umm Gerar, some 3.6 kilometres south on the Besor river, further convinced him that Tell Jemmeh is biblical Gerar.
350:
The mound is 23 metres high and dominates its surrounding plains, which are excellent for agriculture. It spans an area of 12
51:
752:
Later periods are not represented on the tell, indicating that the location of the settlement (especially during the
950:
Rahmani, L.Y., "Silver Coins of the Fourth
Century from Tell Gamma" Israel Exploration Journal 21, pp. 158–160, 1971
1003:
604:
and his kingdom was important to the
Egyptians as it was on the main route connecting Egypt with the rest of the
593:
According to the
Egyptian source, Yursa was captured and thus included in the list of cities taken by Thutmose.
473:
436:
in 1922. His expedition lasted only one day because of security problems. He identified the site with biblical
993:
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658:. Tell Jemmeh appears to have been a daughter-town of Gaza, under its control. The only Philistine ceramic
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and was mentioned in some Egyptian sources. First, it was mentioned in the list of 119 cities conquered by
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695:
340:
912:
Currid, J. D., "The Beehive Buildings of Ancient Palestine", Biblical Archaeologist 49, pp. 20-24, 1986
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The first human settlement to be found in Tell Jemmeh is from the fourth millennium BCE during the
444:), as he found remains of human occupation by the Middle Bronze Age, the supposed time of biblical
582:
in his campaign to thwart a Canaanite rebellion against Egypt (1468 BCE). Yursa is mentioned with
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periods, adding about 18 meters to the height of the hill. The tell suffers from continuous
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731:. It was likely abandoned rather than destroyed as the Assyrians withdraw from the region.
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excavated the site in 1927 for five months and accepted the identification with Gerar.
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332:(Torah). There are also a number of ancient sites to the east along the Gerar Stream.
833:, Vol. 31, No. 1, January/February 1983, Archaeological Institute of America pp.12–19
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at around 1175 BCE, along with what were to become the five major Philistine cities:
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challenged this identification. He believed Tell Jemmeh should be identified with
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Petrie, W. M. Flinders, "Gerar", British school of archaeology in Egypt, 1928
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wall (double city wall, with transversal walls creating separate chambers).
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Tell Jemmeh is one of three major sites along the Besor Stream along with
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Tell Jemmeh is famous for two significant archaeological discoveries: an
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The Smithsonian Institution Excavation at Tell Jemmeh, Israel, 1970–1990
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The mystery ancient toys puzzling archaeologists - BBC - 16 August 2022
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During the Late Bronze Age II, subsequent with the golden age of the
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903:, No. 369 (May 2013), The American Schools of Oriental Research, p.6
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Tell Jemmeh was first settled as a hunter-farmer village during the
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structure, probably a palace, from the Assyrian occupation of the
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provenancing of two Amarna letters written from Yursa's governor
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territory. This identification is further substantiated by the
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coast. The site is located at the confluence of two streams,
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period) likely shifted to the lower city south of the tell.
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324:. Some archaeologists identify the Besor Stream with the "
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During this particular period, Tell Jemmeh was known as
886:
Van Beek, G.W., "Tell Gamma", IEJ 27, pp. 171–176, 1977
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quantity of imported ware was found, including ware of
901:
Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
343:, and a grain storage facility from the time of the
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6 km to the west, and is 9 km east of the
235:Excavations on the southern side of Tell Jemmeh by
390:Tell Jemmeh, topographic map with excavation areas
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739:At the beginning of the Hellenistic period, the
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596:Also, it is later mentioned in the two of the
943:David Ben-Shlomo and Gus w. van Beek (2014),
273:, located in the region of the northwestern
600:(1350 BCE - 1330 BCE). Its king was called
484:; Yarda, mentioned by Jewish-Roman scholar
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297:2 km to the east, and the kibbutz of
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419:Excavation and identification
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897:Gus W. Van Beek (1922–2012)
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748:Tell replaced by lower city
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176:Beginning of 2nd century BC
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500:to the king of Egypt.
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770:Archaeology in Israel
710:in the year 679 BCE.
464:Yursa/Arsa/Yarda/Orda
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120:31.38750°N 34.44472°E
775:Eshkol National Park
580:Pharaoh Thutmose III
565:New Kingdom of Egypt
430:W. J. Phythian-Adams
378:from 1350–1330 BCE.
155:62 m above sea level
994:Hebrew Bible cities
984:Tells (archaeology)
684:Tiglath-Pileser III
682:expanded and under
680:Neo-Assyrian Empire
533:Chalcolithic period
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999:Biblical geography
735:Hellenistic period
440:(mentioned in the
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125:31.38750; 34.44472
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823:Gus w. van Beek,
741:Ptolemaic Kingdom
345:Ptolemaic Kingdom
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399:through the
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265:(תל גמה) or
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185:Chalcolithic
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830:Archaeology
692:Sennacherib
636:Philistines
452:. A nearby
407:due to the
311:Nahal Gerar
307:Nahal Besor
247:Tell Gemmeh
243:Tell Jemmeh
201:Hellenistic
193:Philistines
123: /
99:Coordinates
40:Tell Jemmeh
19:Tell Jemmeh
978:Categories
786:References
704:Esarhaddon
546:Bronze Age
207:Site notes
139:Settlement
111:34°26′41″E
108:31°23′15″N
754:Byzantine
700:Philistia
688:Sargon II
620:Mycenaean
611:Via Maris
490:Canaanite
472:from the
468:In 1952,
454:Byzantine
382:Geography
267:Tel Re'im
263:Tel Gamma
222:Condition
189:Ptolemaic
173:Abandoned
764:See also
668:casemate
644:Ashkelon
630:Iron Age
626:origin.
602:Pu-Ba'lu
584:Sharuhen
498:Pu-Ba'lu
486:Josephus
409:flooding
337:Assyrian
225:In ruins
197:Assyrian
181:Cultures
75:Location
722:erosion
624:Cypriot
522:ostraca
446:Abraham
432:of the
405:erosion
401:Persian
299:Kisufim
291:kibbutz
165:Founded
160:History
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758:Mamluk
708:Ninveh
696:Israel
648:Ashdod
588:Canaan
569:Canaan
415:soil.
356:dunams
354:or 43
283:Israel
259:Hebrew
255:تل جمه
251:Arabic
152:Height
89:Region
83:Israel
26:תל גמה
656:Ekron
576:Yursa
478:Yursa
450:Isaac
438:Gerar
424:Gerar
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372:Yursa
352:acres
295:Re'im
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93:Negev
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622:and
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