Reader Inspects BAR Restoration of an Israelite Village

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The early Israelite site of Izbet Sartah, believed to be Biblical Ebenezer (1 Samuel 4), is inauspiciously located in the midst of the town dump of modern day Rosh Haayin. I went to Izbet Sartah to see the recently completed preservation work. (See “BAR Readers to Restore Israelite Village from Days of the Judges,” BAR 05:01). As a contributor to the BAR Archaeological Preservation Fund interested in archaeology but not professionally involved, I wanted to learn why BAR selected particular sites and what are the benefits of restoration. I had on other occasions seen various well-preserved major sites, such as Masada, but this one was quite modest, according to the description in the literature. (See “An Israelite Village from the Days of the Judges,” BAR 04:03.)

Izbet Sartah is an inspired choice. A visit provides a quick grasp of its geographical setting. This was the frontier country, where the Israelites in their westward migration (1200 B.C.) reached the edge of the barren rock-strewn hill country. Down below, only a few kilometers away, is the fertile, lush, green Sharon plain. The view includes Aphek, a figurative stone’s throw below, with its recently uncovered Canaanite palace and other structures. After seven seasons of excavation at Aphek only a fraction of the entire site is as yet uncovered.

The Israelites must have looked down with envy at the well-watered fields surrounding Aphek and with awe at its fortifications. The inhabitants of Aphek, if they bothered to do so, must have looked up with disdain at the unsophisticated dwellings on the hillcrest and with limited curiosity about the tribe whose village was perched there.

The tension of two cultures meeting here led to border wars, and the capture of the Israelite’s Ark of the Covenant by the later inhabitants of the plains, the Philistines, who had succeeded the Canaanites in the coastal area (1 Samuel 5:1–2). The defeat led to political upheaval among the Israelites, and the decision to abandon their loose confederation in favor of a centralized monarchy with Saul as its first king. (1 Samuel 8:19, 20).

Professor Moshe Kochavi, of Tel Aviv University, leader of the excavation teams at both Izbet Sartah and Aphek, instructed me at the site. The principal feature of Izbet Sartah is a typical four-room Israelite “house.” The term is, to me, misleading, suggesting a very small dwelling. In fact, the house is fairly spacious with one of its four rooms quite broad; the house probably served for a rather large extended family or small clan. Storage pits or silos adjoin the dwelling. On the perimeter of the site, away from the house, are the ruins of small rooms, joined together, where persons associated with the family dwelled.

Under Professor Kochavi’s guidance the walls of the four-room house have been restored to knee height. Though a modest sounding achievement, it is significant. Professor Kochavi noted that unrestored, his description of the structure would have required much detailed explanation. Now he can merely point 059to the major features, and the structure provides the balance of the explanation. Those who go to the site without Professor Kochavi must rely on signs containing pertinent information. Also, two BAR articles add much detail for the visitor. One, already mentioned, summarizes the significance of the site, its habitation by Israelites for 200 years (1200 B.C.–1000 B.C.) and by no one else before or after. The other, also co-authored by Professor Kochavi, describes the significance of a sherd discovered during excavation containing the “longest proto-Canaanite inscription ever discovered” which is regarded as a “dramatic addition to the study of ancient Hebrew epigraphy and to the early history of the alphabet.” (See “An Alphabet from the Days of the Judges,” BAR 04:03.)

Stimulated by the BAR’s preservation efforts and at Professor Kochavi’s initiative, representatives of affected institutions and governmental agencies have met and agreed, in principle, to seek the designation of Izbet Sartah as a national park. Professor Kochavi expressed the opinion that then the use of the area around the site as town dump might cease. This is ironic. Archaeologists thousands of years hence at this location, may rely on contemporary debris to learn about Rosh Haayin. They will be puzzled as to why the artifacts suddenly ceased. Surely, no latter day archaeologist will stumble on the truth—that the movement to preserve Biblical archaeological sites was the “natural calamity” which caused the abandonment of this town dump!

The early Israelite site of Izbet Sartah, believed to be Biblical Ebenezer (1 Samuel 4), is inauspiciously located in the midst of the town dump of modern day Rosh Haayin. I went to Izbet Sartah to see the recently completed preservation work. (See “BAR Readers to Restore Israelite Village from Days of the Judges,” BAR 05:01). As a contributor to the BAR Archaeological Preservation Fund interested in archaeology but not professionally involved, I wanted to learn why BAR selected particular sites and what are the benefits of restoration. I had on other occasions seen various well-preserved major sites, such […]