An Israelite fort of the late 7th–early 6th centuries BCE was uncovered in an excavation carried out in November–December 1982 in the vicinity of the modern settlement of Vered Yeriḥo (Jericho). The excavation was conducted on behalf of the Staff Officer for Archaeology in Judea and Samaria. It was headed by A. Eitan, who was assisted by Z. Shavit and A. Meiron.
Situated on a flattish narrow spur on the north bank of Wadi es-Suweid, the fort is about 6 km south of the tell of ancient Jericho, and commands over a considerable area of the Jordan Valley. The remains of the fort have created a 2.1-m-high hillock (30 by 25 m). It should be noted that a site of the same period has been discovered 3 km north of the fort; that site covers an area of about 7.5 a. on the south bank of Wadi Qelt and should perhaps be identified with Iron Age Jericho. Both the site and the fort were discovered by inspectors Z. Shavit and Z. Shemuel.
The fort is a well-planned rectangular (24 by 20 m) structure with a symmetrical layout, its outer walls 0.9 m wide and inner walls either 0.9 or 0.7 m wide. The walls have been preserved to a height of more than 2 m and are built of stone coated with mud plaster; the superstructure was of brick. A two-chambered gate is located in the northern wall, between two square corner towers projecting beyond the gate. Behind each tower is a chamber placed at right angles to the towers; a courtyard extends between them. Two adjoining four-room houses take up the other half of the fort, each with an entrance from the courtyard into the central space, which is divided from the lateral spaces by a stylobate consisting of a row of stones. Originally, these stylobates carried wooden columns, whose imprints are clearly visible. The towers are divided in the same fashion into two spaces.
Originally, the four-room houses may have had only three rooms, as the stylobates continue up to the back wall. The partition of the towers may also be an afterthought, as a seam is visible between the stylobate and the tower wall. However, there is no clear evidence to indicate whether these changes were carried out during the construction of the fort or in a later stage.
Two flights of stone steps were revealed in the courtyard, one near the southern wall and the other near the eastern. In the northeastern corner of the courtyard, a tabun and an L-shaped bench were uncovered. Each of the chambers behind the tower has a corner compartment with a small opening at the bottom of the side facing the courtyard. These may have been intended for storage (perhaps of grain) or as supports for wooden steps leading up to the towers.
Of special interest among the finds is an as yet undeciphered 10-line Hebrew ostracon and an unusual 1 m-long iron sword. A thick layer of ash covered the gate and the towers, indicating that this part of the building was destroyed in the conflagration that marked the end of the fort.
AVRAHAM EITAN
A. Eitan, ESI 2 (1983), 106–107; [id.], BAR 12/4 (1986), 30–38; id., The Israel Museum Journal 12 (1994), 61–62; E. Stern, EI 24 (1993), 238*; id., Scripture and Other Artifacts, Louisville, KY 1994, 399–409; id., BAR 27/3 (2001), 21–29 (pp. 23–24); D. Bigelajzen, The Israel Museum Journal 12 (1994), 63–64; J. Poulin, MdB 89 (1994), 39–40.
An Israelite fort of the late 7th–early 6th centuries BCE was uncovered in an excavation carried out in November–December 1982 in the vicinity of the modern settlement of Vered Yeriḥo (Jericho). The excavation was conducted on behalf of the Staff Officer for Archaeology in Judea and Samaria. It was headed by A. Eitan, who was assisted by Z. Shavit and A. Meiron.
