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Photo Courtesy of Doron Ben-Ami

A collection of standing stones (masseboth in Hebrew) was part of a major cultic complex at Hazor. Though found throughout the Near East, including several locations in Israel, masseboth still remain something of a mystery. The standing stones in this Hazor sanctuary date to the Middle Bronze Age II (c. 1800–1550 B.C.E.), not much later than the foundation of the city. They may commemorate special people or events, or remind the deity of certain people. Sometimes masseboth are in pairs, one tall massebah and one short. Many of them also have a flat rock at their bottom—always on the western side—which was probably an offering table.