B. BEN-MOSHE

ABOVE ‘AUJA EL-FOQA. Looking north, this photograph shows a general view of ‘Auja el-Foqa with the Bedouin village of Ras ‘Ain el-‘Auja below, in 2019, before excavations began at the site. During most of the year, the area is very arid. Yet a nearby spring permits survival in this inhospitable—but strategic—region. Situated on a high hill at the edge of the Jordan Valley, the fortress of ‘Auja el-Foqa commands a view of the valley, including Jericho and its environs.