The remains of tripartite buildings, situated on major ancient trade routes, dot the area between ancient Beersheba and Hazor. Tel Hadar is located on the main trunk road between Mesopotamia and Mediterranean harbors, while Hazor, Megiddo, Tell Qasile and Tell el-Hesi lie on the Via Maris (the Way of the Sea), the primary international land route between Egypt and western Asia.

Hazor

Tell Abu Hawam

Megiddo

The basic design of these structures changed little over the five centuries they were in use: Pillars consisting of stacked stones or monoliths separated the unpaved central halls from the side aisles, which were covered with unhewn cobblestones. The proportion of length to width in these buildings is a fairly constant three to one. Their actual lengths, however, range from 35 feet at Tell Abu Hawam to 88 feet at Megiddo. The side rooms (not including the thickness of the walls) are generally between 6 and 9 feet wide, with most measuring around 7.5 feet wide.

Tell Qasile

Beth Shemesh

Tell el-Hesi

Tel Beersheba