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COURTESY OF RALPH K. HAWKINS

KHIRBET ‘AUJA EL-FOQA. Two miles southwest of Khirbet el-Mastarah lies the fortified city of Khirbet ‘Auja el-Foqa, dated to the Iron Age II (1000–586 B.C.E). Perched on a high hill, the site contains numerous well-preserved structures. In some structures, earlier remains are visible underneath the remains visible upon the surface, which hints that the site may have been settled earlier than the Iron Age II. Khirbet ‘Auja el-Foqa may illustrate a later stage of Israelite settlement—while Khirbet el-Mastarah represents an earlier one.