Beth She'arim: The Village and nearby Burials - בית-שערים: הישוב והקבורה לצידו
גבעת בית-שערים, שנמצאת בדרום הגליל התחתון וצופה על נוף הקישון מעמק-החוף עד עמק-יזרעאל, כונתה שיך ... more גבעת בית-שערים, שנמצאת בדרום הגליל התחתון וצופה על נוף הקישון מעמק-החוף עד עמק-יזרעאל, כונתה שיך אבריך לפי קבר קדוש או ברכה בהגייה מקומית. הקרן-הקיימת-לישראל רכשה את אדמת הגבעות והעמידה אותן לרשות משפחת השומר אלכסנדר זייד. בזמן הקמת צריף המגורים למשפחתו בראש הגבעה נחשף קיר בנוי מאבני גזית. אלכסנדר זייד הזמין את בנימין מיזלר (מזר) לבוא ולראות את השרידים, ועזר לחופרים בעבודתם עד שנרצח בשנת 1938 ובניו המשיכו בכך אחריו.
בנימין מזר ניהל את עונות החפירות הארכיאולוגיות הראשונות על גבעת בית-שערים בימי המאורעות (1940-1936), ונחמן אביגד בשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל (1958-1953).
מפעל החפירות שנעשה בעזרת מורים, סטודנטים ובוגרים של האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים ובעזרת עולים חדשים היה התנסות ראשונה לארכיאולוגים בראשית דרכם ועורר הד ציבורי רחב ותחושות לאומיות בתקופת טרום המדינה ובשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל.
על גבעת שיך אבריך ובמורדותיה נחשפו שרידי יישוב מתקופת הברזל שהתפתח בתקופה ההלניסטית והרומית. שיאו של היישוב היה בימי רבי יהודה הנשיא ובימים שהסנהדרין שכנה בבית-שערים, ובזמן שהיישוב שימש מרכז קבורה ליהודי הארץ והתפוצות. מידע ראשוני על תשע עונות של חפירות ארכיאולוגיות בבית: שערים, פורסם ברבעונים, ובשנתונים ובספרים בהוצאת ה"חברה לחקירת ארץ ישראל ועתיקותיה" שהשתתפה במפעל החפירות בבית-שערים ונשאה בעול ניהול החפירה.
היום, לאחר שנות דור מזמן חשיפת שרידי בית-שערים, בא הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" למלא את החסר בכינוס מידע מעודכן על שרידי היישוב, לפי פרסומים ראשוניים של החופרים ולפי שרידים שנותרו במקום.
בין פרקי הספר: היבטים כלליים על תולדות היישוב ועל מיקומו במרחב גיאוגרפי והיסטורי; תיאור שרידי היישוב ותולדותיו ועל הקבורה הציבורית שהתפתחה לצידו, כולל מחקרים שנכתבו במיוחד לשם כך. רשימת המקורות שלוקטה בספר מציעה נתונים בלעדיים אודות שרידי היישוב בית-שערים ורשימה משותפת של ביקורות ומראי מקום מספרות המחקר אודות בית-שערים והקבורה לצידו, ממנה עולה כיצד החוקרים והציבור איבדו עניין בשרידי היישוב על הגבעה ועסקו בקבורה ובכתובות.
כתב היד הובא לפרופ' בנימין מזר שבירך את מטרתו, על הערכות השונות משלי המובאות בו, ואף הציע עזרה בהכנת כתב היד ובכתיבת מבוא. מותו הקדים את הכנת כתב היד לדפוס. הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" מוקדש על ידי המחברים לזכרם של פרופ' בנימין מזר ופרופ' נחמן אביגד, חוקרי בית-שערים שפעלו לחשיפת שרידי היישוב ואינם עוד.
The Roads that Bears the People: Pilgrimage Roads to Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period - דרכים נושאות עם: דרכי עולי הרגל אל ירושלים בימי הבית השני, 2013
בימים שבהם עמד בירושלים בית המקדש, שימשו העיר ומקדשה מוקד עלייה לרגל להמוני בית ישראל. במועדים קב... more בימים שבהם עמד בירושלים בית המקדש, שימשו העיר ומקדשה מוקד עלייה לרגל להמוני בית ישראל. במועדים קבועים עלו ברגל בני ישראל, ממקומות מושבם ברחבי הארץ ובתפוצות, מהלך מספר ימים בשיירות של אלפי אנשים - גברים, נשים וטף - בדרכם אל המקדש.
בספר תועדו עשרות מעלות מדורגים ברחבי ארץ ישראל, ונבדק היחס בין הסלילה הרומית האימפריאלית לדרכי עולי הרגל בימי הבית השני. תיאור הדרכים האלה ממחיש את התופעה של העלייה לרגל ומעניק למנהג היהודי עתיק היומין הזה, משמעות מחודשת.
ההיסטוריון, יוסף בן מתתיהו כינה את מעלה בית חוֹרוֹן – דרך מסורתית שהלכו בה עולי הרגל אל ירושלים בשם הציורי:
"(דרך) נושאת עם". הכינוי ההיסטורי הזה נתן את השראתו לשם של ספרנו.
יגאל ויותם טפר, אב ובנו, מחברי הספר הולכים שנים רבות בדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות של עולי הרגל לאורכה ולרוחבה של הארץ, ופעילים גם בצוות המחקר של הכבישים הרומיים באוניברסיטת תל אביב.
בספרם מתוארת התופעה הארכיאולוגית הייחודית של המעלות המדורגים והחצובים לאורכן של הדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות בארץ, המתכנסות כמניפה גדולה, מקצוות הארץ אל ירושלים.
ספרם הקודם, בית שערים - הישוב והקבורה לצידו, ראה אור בהוצאת הקיבוץ המאוחד
Editors:
Elie Haddad
Liat Nadav-Ziv
Jon Seligman
Daniel Varga
Pablo Betzer
Amit Shadman
Oren Tal
... more Editors: Elie Haddad Liat Nadav-Ziv Jon Seligman Daniel Varga Pablo Betzer Amit Shadman Oren Tal Yotam Tepper
The first annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Auth... more The first annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Authority, the Department of Archaeology and Near Eastern Cultures and the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University on April 26, 2018 at Tel Aviv University. It was dedicated to the theme of the "Triple M - Motion, Movement and Mobility," with contribution discussing aspects of movement of humans and animals, as well as of artifacts, in space and time, against the backdrop of a fundamental comprehension of change as movement in time. This volume consists of eleven papers in English and five in Hebrew
The second annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Aut... more The second annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Authority, the Department of Archaeology and Near Eastern Cultures and the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University on May 29, 2019 at Tel Aviv University. It was dedicated to the theme of "Memory" and its archaeological expression, as may be found in matter, space and location in early periods, in the intentional choice of past artifacts, and in the memory of sites in the landscape that persisted for centuries and millennia. This proceedings volume consists of nine papers: six in English and three in Hebrew.
The site of Legio in the vicinity of Tel Megiddo is one of the important Roman military stronghol... more The site of Legio in the vicinity of Tel Megiddo is one of the important Roman military strongholds and settlements of Roman Palestine. Over the last decade, large-scale excavations were conducted at the site on behalf of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project, which demonstrated that it was the location of the legionary base of the Roman II Traiana and the VI Ferrata Legions. The excavation has focused especially on the principia (headquarters) of the base, where the official Roman army rites of worship were carried out. All of this has contributed to our knowledge regarding the organization of the Roman military system in the province. A fragment of a limestone sculpture was found in 1972 at Legio and is published here, adding further information to this picture. The recent excavations at Legio provide context to its discovery.
During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), ser... more During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), served as one of Ottoman Palestine’s provincial capitals under the administration of the Turabay Dynasty (1517–1688 CE), and was an important centre on the imperial highway between Damascus and Cairo. However, the town of this period has never been the subject of historical investigation. This paper seeks to bring together, assess and synthesize, rarely accessed Arabic and Ottoman Turkish sources, along with oral histories and an archaeological survey, to provide the first comprehensive historical account of Turabay al-Lajjun and its ultimate demise in the 19th century CE.
Beth She'arim: The Village and nearby Burials - בית-שערים: הישוב והקבורה לצידו
גבעת בית-שערים, שנמצאת בדרום הגליל התחתון וצופה על נוף הקישון מעמק-החוף עד עמק-יזרעאל, כונתה שיך ... more גבעת בית-שערים, שנמצאת בדרום הגליל התחתון וצופה על נוף הקישון מעמק-החוף עד עמק-יזרעאל, כונתה שיך אבריך לפי קבר קדוש או ברכה בהגייה מקומית. הקרן-הקיימת-לישראל רכשה את אדמת הגבעות והעמידה אותן לרשות משפחת השומר אלכסנדר זייד. בזמן הקמת צריף המגורים למשפחתו בראש הגבעה נחשף קיר בנוי מאבני גזית. אלכסנדר זייד הזמין את בנימין מיזלר (מזר) לבוא ולראות את השרידים, ועזר לחופרים בעבודתם עד שנרצח בשנת 1938 ובניו המשיכו בכך אחריו.
בנימין מזר ניהל את עונות החפירות הארכיאולוגיות הראשונות על גבעת בית-שערים בימי המאורעות (1940-1936), ונחמן אביגד בשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל (1958-1953).
מפעל החפירות שנעשה בעזרת מורים, סטודנטים ובוגרים של האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים ובעזרת עולים חדשים היה התנסות ראשונה לארכיאולוגים בראשית דרכם ועורר הד ציבורי רחב ותחושות לאומיות בתקופת טרום המדינה ובשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל.
על גבעת שיך אבריך ובמורדותיה נחשפו שרידי יישוב מתקופת הברזל שהתפתח בתקופה ההלניסטית והרומית. שיאו של היישוב היה בימי רבי יהודה הנשיא ובימים שהסנהדרין שכנה בבית-שערים, ובזמן שהיישוב שימש מרכז קבורה ליהודי הארץ והתפוצות. מידע ראשוני על תשע עונות של חפירות ארכיאולוגיות בבית: שערים, פורסם ברבעונים, ובשנתונים ובספרים בהוצאת ה"חברה לחקירת ארץ ישראל ועתיקותיה" שהשתתפה במפעל החפירות בבית-שערים ונשאה בעול ניהול החפירה.
היום, לאחר שנות דור מזמן חשיפת שרידי בית-שערים, בא הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" למלא את החסר בכינוס מידע מעודכן על שרידי היישוב, לפי פרסומים ראשוניים של החופרים ולפי שרידים שנותרו במקום.
בין פרקי הספר: היבטים כלליים על תולדות היישוב ועל מיקומו במרחב גיאוגרפי והיסטורי; תיאור שרידי היישוב ותולדותיו ועל הקבורה הציבורית שהתפתחה לצידו, כולל מחקרים שנכתבו במיוחד לשם כך. רשימת המקורות שלוקטה בספר מציעה נתונים בלעדיים אודות שרידי היישוב בית-שערים ורשימה משותפת של ביקורות ומראי מקום מספרות המחקר אודות בית-שערים והקבורה לצידו, ממנה עולה כיצד החוקרים והציבור איבדו עניין בשרידי היישוב על הגבעה ועסקו בקבורה ובכתובות.
כתב היד הובא לפרופ' בנימין מזר שבירך את מטרתו, על הערכות השונות משלי המובאות בו, ואף הציע עזרה בהכנת כתב היד ובכתיבת מבוא. מותו הקדים את הכנת כתב היד לדפוס. הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" מוקדש על ידי המחברים לזכרם של פרופ' בנימין מזר ופרופ' נחמן אביגד, חוקרי בית-שערים שפעלו לחשיפת שרידי היישוב ואינם עוד.
The Roads that Bears the People: Pilgrimage Roads to Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period - דרכים נושאות עם: דרכי עולי הרגל אל ירושלים בימי הבית השני, 2013
בימים שבהם עמד בירושלים בית המקדש, שימשו העיר ומקדשה מוקד עלייה לרגל להמוני בית ישראל. במועדים קב... more בימים שבהם עמד בירושלים בית המקדש, שימשו העיר ומקדשה מוקד עלייה לרגל להמוני בית ישראל. במועדים קבועים עלו ברגל בני ישראל, ממקומות מושבם ברחבי הארץ ובתפוצות, מהלך מספר ימים בשיירות של אלפי אנשים - גברים, נשים וטף - בדרכם אל המקדש.
בספר תועדו עשרות מעלות מדורגים ברחבי ארץ ישראל, ונבדק היחס בין הסלילה הרומית האימפריאלית לדרכי עולי הרגל בימי הבית השני. תיאור הדרכים האלה ממחיש את התופעה של העלייה לרגל ומעניק למנהג היהודי עתיק היומין הזה, משמעות מחודשת.
ההיסטוריון, יוסף בן מתתיהו כינה את מעלה בית חוֹרוֹן – דרך מסורתית שהלכו בה עולי הרגל אל ירושלים בשם הציורי:
"(דרך) נושאת עם". הכינוי ההיסטורי הזה נתן את השראתו לשם של ספרנו.
יגאל ויותם טפר, אב ובנו, מחברי הספר הולכים שנים רבות בדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות של עולי הרגל לאורכה ולרוחבה של הארץ, ופעילים גם בצוות המחקר של הכבישים הרומיים באוניברסיטת תל אביב.
בספרם מתוארת התופעה הארכיאולוגית הייחודית של המעלות המדורגים והחצובים לאורכן של הדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות בארץ, המתכנסות כמניפה גדולה, מקצוות הארץ אל ירושלים.
ספרם הקודם, בית שערים - הישוב והקבורה לצידו, ראה אור בהוצאת הקיבוץ המאוחד
Editors:
Elie Haddad
Liat Nadav-Ziv
Jon Seligman
Daniel Varga
Pablo Betzer
Amit Shadman
Oren Tal
... more Editors: Elie Haddad Liat Nadav-Ziv Jon Seligman Daniel Varga Pablo Betzer Amit Shadman Oren Tal Yotam Tepper
The first annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Auth... more The first annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Authority, the Department of Archaeology and Near Eastern Cultures and the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University on April 26, 2018 at Tel Aviv University. It was dedicated to the theme of the "Triple M - Motion, Movement and Mobility," with contribution discussing aspects of movement of humans and animals, as well as of artifacts, in space and time, against the backdrop of a fundamental comprehension of change as movement in time. This volume consists of eleven papers in English and five in Hebrew
The second annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Aut... more The second annual "In Centro" conference was held by the Central Region of Israel Antiquities Authority, the Department of Archaeology and Near Eastern Cultures and the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University on May 29, 2019 at Tel Aviv University. It was dedicated to the theme of "Memory" and its archaeological expression, as may be found in matter, space and location in early periods, in the intentional choice of past artifacts, and in the memory of sites in the landscape that persisted for centuries and millennia. This proceedings volume consists of nine papers: six in English and three in Hebrew.
The site of Legio in the vicinity of Tel Megiddo is one of the important Roman military stronghol... more The site of Legio in the vicinity of Tel Megiddo is one of the important Roman military strongholds and settlements of Roman Palestine. Over the last decade, large-scale excavations were conducted at the site on behalf of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project, which demonstrated that it was the location of the legionary base of the Roman II Traiana and the VI Ferrata Legions. The excavation has focused especially on the principia (headquarters) of the base, where the official Roman army rites of worship were carried out. All of this has contributed to our knowledge regarding the organization of the Roman military system in the province. A fragment of a limestone sculpture was found in 1972 at Legio and is published here, adding further information to this picture. The recent excavations at Legio provide context to its discovery.
During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), ser... more During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), served as one of Ottoman Palestine’s provincial capitals under the administration of the Turabay Dynasty (1517–1688 CE), and was an important centre on the imperial highway between Damascus and Cairo. However, the town of this period has never been the subject of historical investigation. This paper seeks to bring together, assess and synthesize, rarely accessed Arabic and Ottoman Turkish sources, along with oral histories and an archaeological survey, to provide the first comprehensive historical account of Turabay al-Lajjun and its ultimate demise in the 19th century CE.
A stamp with two lines of a Latin inscription was found in Shivta (Sobata) in the Negev. The text... more A stamp with two lines of a Latin inscription was found in Shivta (Sobata) in the Negev. The text mentions the owner Clemens and a Comicus, his born slave, who was as manager responsible for the product which was marked with the stamp. The stamp belongs to the second/third century.
Global agro-biodiversity has resulted from processes of plant migration and agricultural adoption... more Global agro-biodiversity has resulted from processes of plant migration and agricultural adoption. Although critically affecting current diversity, crop diffusion from antiquity to the middle-ages is poorly researched, overshadowed by studies on that of prehistoric periods. A new archaeobotanical dataset from three Negev Highland desert sites demonstrates the first millennium CE’s significance for long-term agricultural change in southwest Asia. This enables evaluation of the “Islamic Green Revolution” (IGR) thesis compared to “Roman Agricultural Diffusion” (RAD), and both versus crop diffusion since the Neolithic. Among the finds, some of the earliestSolanum melongenaseeds in the Levant represent the proposed IGR. Several other identified economic plants, including two unprecedented in Levantine archaeobotany (Ziziphus jujuba, Lupinus albus), implicate RAD as the greater force for crop migrations. Altogether the evidence supports a gradualist model for Holocene-wide crop diffusion,...
The legionary base at Legio (Legion II Trajana and Legion VI Ferrata) is the first full-scale leg... more The legionary base at Legio (Legion II Trajana and Legion VI Ferrata) is the first full-scale legionary base of the Principate excavated in the Eastern Empire. The 2015–2019 excavation seasons of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project focused on the headquarters compound, the principia. While many components of the compound are typical of those of permanent legionary bases throughout the Empire, several unique features of the principia at Legio offer new research avenues concerning the function of these buildings within the Roman army administrative system and community life. This paper summarizes the results of the 2015–2019 seasons of excavation and remote sensing within the principia.
During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), ser... more During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), served as one of Ottoman Palestine’s provincial capitals under the administration of the Turabay Dynasty (1517–1688 CE), and was an important centre on the imperial highway between Damascus and Cairo. However, the town of this period has never been the subject of historical investigation. This paper seeks to bring together, assess and synthesize, rarely accessed Arabic and Ottoman Turkish sources, along with oral histories and an archaeological survey, to provide the first comprehensive historical account of Turabay al-Lajjun and it its ultimate demise in the 19th century CE.
The site of Legio in the vicinity of Tel Megiddo is one of the important Roman military stronghol... more The site of Legio in the vicinity of Tel Megiddo is one of the important Roman military strongholds and settlements of Roman Palestine. Over the last decade, large-scale excavations were conducted at the site on behalf of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project, which demonstrated that it was the location of the legionary base of the Roman II Traiana and the VI Ferrata Legions. The excavation has focused especially on the principia (headquarters) of the base, where the official Roman army rites of worship were carried out. All of this has contributed to our knowledge regarding the organization of the Roman military system in the province. A fragment of a limestone sculpture was found in 1972 at Legio and although never published, adds further information to this picture, with the recent excavations at Legio providing context to its discovery.
Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel, 2018
Brief report on 2017 salvage excavation at Kibbutz Megiddo. Excavated material includes a 12th Ce... more Brief report on 2017 salvage excavation at Kibbutz Megiddo. Excavated material includes a 12th Century domestic midden with Frankish material culture (Area A) and a sequence of late Byzantine/Early Islamic settlement (Area B).
A complete Latin funerary inscription was found during an infrastructure development excavation n... more A complete Latin funerary inscription was found during an infrastructure development excavation near the legionary base of the Legio VI Ferrata at Legio. This funerary epitaph for a miles of the VIth Legion is the only complete inscription of its kind from Legio and, therefore, is an important contribution to the history of the legion during its tenure in Syria-Palaestina. In the epigraphic study of the inscription, a specific set of metrological characteristics were identified that have previously only been documented in formal imperial inscriptions. This raises questions about the availability of high-level lapidaries to ordinary soldiers in the context of their service. A review of the existing inscriptions attesting legionaries of Legio VI Ferrata is further provided to contextualize the epitaph.
The international scope of the Mediterranean wine trade in Late Antiquity raises important questi... more The international scope of the Mediterranean wine trade in Late Antiquity raises important questions concerning sustainability in an ancient international economy and offers a valuable historical precedent to modern globalization. Such questions involve the role of intercontinental commerce in maintaining sustainable production within important supply regions and the vulnerability of peripheral regions believed to have been especially sensitive to environmental and political disturbances. We provide archaeobo-tanical evidence from trash mounds at three sites in the central Negev Desert, Israel, unraveling the rise and fall of viticulture over the second to eighth centuries of the common era (CE). Using quantitative ceramic data obtained in the same archaeological contexts, we further investigate connections between Negev viticulture and circum-Mediterranean trade. Our findings demonstrate interrelated growth in viticulture and involvement in Med-iterranean trade reaching what appears to be a commercial scale in the fourth to mid-sixth centuries. Following a mid-sixth century peak, decline of this system is evident in the mid-to late sixth century, nearly a century before the Islamic conquest. These findings closely correspond with other archaeological evidence for social , economic, and urban growth in the fourth century and decline centered on the mid-sixth century. Contracting markets were a likely proximate cause for the decline; possible triggers include climate change, plague, and wider sociopolitical developments. In long-term historical perspective, the unprecedented commercial florescence of the Late Antique Negev appears to have been un-sustainable, reverting to an age-old pattern of smaller-scale settlement and survival-subsistence strategies within a time frame of about two centuries. Negev | Byzantine Empire | archaeobotany | protoglobalization | economic archaeology
This article presents a systematic methodological comparison of three archaeobotanical proxies (p... more This article presents a systematic methodological comparison of three archaeobotanical proxies (phytoliths, pollen and seeds) applied to an assemblage of dung pellets and corresponding archaeological refuse deposits from Early Islamic contexts at the site of Shivta. We set out with three main methodological questions: one, to evaluate the relative input of botanical remains from dung in refuse assemblages ; two, to evaluate each archaeobotanical dataset and to test whether they are comparable, complementary or contradictory in their interpretations from dung; and three, infer herding practices at the site during the Early Islamic period. Our findings show that ovicaprine dung accumulated in Early Islamic Shivta during at least two periods: mid-7themid-8th centuries CE, and late-8th - mid-10th centuries CE. Methodologically, we see incomplete and incompatible reconstructions arise when each method is considered alone, with each proxy possessing its own advantages and limitations. Specifically, the amount of preserved seeds in dung pellets is low, which restricts statistical analysis and tends to emphasize small or hard-coated seeds and vegetation fruiting season; yet this method has the highest taxonomic power; pollen preserves only in uncharred pellets, emphasizes the flowering season and has an intermediate taxonomic value; phytoliths have the lowest taxonomic value yet complete the picture of livestock feeding habits by identifying leaf and stem remains, some from domestic cereals, which went unnoticed in both seed and pollen analyses. The combined archaeobotanical reconstruction from samples of the mid-7th -mid-8th centuries suggests that springtime herding at Shivta was based on free-grazing of wild vegetation, supplemented by chaff and/or hay from domestic cereals. For the late-8th - mid-10th century samples, phytolith and pollen reconstruction indicates autumn-winter free-grazing with no evidence of foddering. Unlike the dung pellets, macrobotanical remains in the refuse deposits included domestic as well as wild taxa, the former mainly food plants that serve for human consumption. Plant remains in these refuse deposits originate primarily from domestic trash and are only partially composed of dung remains. The significance of this study is not only in its general methodological contribution to archaeobotany, but also to lasting discussions regarding the contribution of dung remains to archaeological deposits used for seed, pollen and phytolith analyses. We offer here a strong method for determining whether deposits derive from dung alone, are mixed, or absolutely do not contain dung. This has important ramifications for archaeological interpretation.
Although only fragments of new Latin inscriptions were found in and around the legionary base of ... more Although only fragments of new Latin inscriptions were found in and around the legionary base of Legio they are more or less representative of the life of a Roman legion as far as it was voiced by inscriptions — here in the province of Syria Palaestina as in other provinces. Some of the inscriptions were found inside the legionary base, others in different places in the vicinity outside the military base. We can suppose that these sites were connected with the legion, perhaps even organized and managed by the legionaries and maybe even “families” of the soldiers at the nearby civilian Jewish-Samaritan village of Kefar ʻOthnay. That two of the inscriptions are dedications to deities of the Roman pantheon is not surprising. Most military people were aware that their life needed the protection of the gods, maybe even more than the life of civilians.
A round limestone pillar mounted on a base with an Opus Sectile decoration was found during the e... more A round limestone pillar mounted on a base with an Opus Sectile decoration was found during the excavation of the legionary base of the VIth Ferrata Legion at Legio, Israel. The pillar, which has no inscription, and the decorated base were found within the principia ex situ from their original location. This paper reviews the context of the find, reconstructs its original location, and reviews parallels.
Historical sources indicate that the Roman Sixth Legion Ferrata established a permanent camp in t... more Historical sources indicate that the Roman Sixth Legion Ferrata established a permanent camp in the Jezreel Valley (Israel) in the vicinity of the archaeological site currently known as Legio (el-Lajjun) near an historical Roman road junction to the south of Tel Megiddo. While archaeological surveys have demonstrated that indeed there was a strong Roman presence at the site, the precise location of the legionary camp has not been conclusively demonstrated. One of the authors (Tepper) has made a topographical and archaeological argument that the low hill, known locally as el-Manach, on the eastern edge of the site is, indeed, the location of the camp. To test this hypothesis, we conducted Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electromagnetic (EM) archaeogeophysical surveys at the site. In particular, we studied the hypothetical northern corner of the camp in an effort to confirm the presence of archaeological features consistent with Roman military construction. Data from both studies were combined and compared to evidence proffered by Tepper’s historical and geographical research. This study provides strong evidence for architectural remains on the hill of el-Manach, and concludes a high-likelihood that such remains relate to the Roman camp of the Sixth Legion.
The Jezreel Valley Regional Project (JVRP) is a long-term multidisciplinary project investigating... more The Jezreel Valley Regional Project (JVRP) is a long-term multidisciplinary project investigating human activity in the Jezreel Valley through all periods through the modern era. This research incorporates extensive and intensive archaeological survey and excavation at several spatial scales, and utilizes a number of methodological approaches to documentation and spatial analysis. One of the major challenges of this project has been coping with a high volume of data, and integrating cutting-edge technology into our workflow to solve the problems that many archaeologists face. This paper will present an overview of our field-based methods of data acquisition, particularly by means of 3D photogrammetry, remote sensing, and high-precision ground control. When integrated through our data management system and used in GIS applications, these data not only produce plans and imagery far more precise than conventional approaches, but the methods used are incredibly time-efficient, cost-effective, and produce archival digital data. Furthermore, we will report on results of spatial analysis of archaeological activity in the Jezreel Valley in conjunction with digital terrain and hydrological modelling of the landscape. These digital techniques allow us to study human and environmental changes in the landscape like never before.
This article explores a means used by Byzantine agriculturists in the Negev in southern Israel to... more This article explores a means used by Byzantine agriculturists in the Negev in southern Israel to achieve sustainable soil improvement: pigeon manure. We found high concentrations of manure in ancient pigeon towers strewn across the Byzantine agricultural landscape, characterized by the widespread construction of terraces and dams to manage runoff and floodwater. We show that nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and organic matter (OM), reliable and recognized indices of soil characterization used by both practical agriculturists and archaeologists, are associated with such towers. The distribution patterns of these indicators have shown congruent and significant perturbations north of the pigeon tower at Shivta. Comparisons with other ancient Levantine installations of this type suggest that the perturbations we identified are associated with a single, above-ground opening that did not survive the destruction of the tower. The door facilitated the controlled, periodical extraction of accumulated manure from inside the tower. This study supports the suggested importance of pigeon manure, evidently used to ameliorate local desert soils, and stresses the usefulness of chemical tests, traditional quantifiers of agricultural soil quality, and anthropogenic interference in identifying pigeon towers and clarifying archaeological problems in a desert environment.
Strata: The Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society, 2017
Historical evidence and archaeological surveys conducted over several decades in the Legio-Megidd... more Historical evidence and archaeological surveys conducted over several decades in the Legio-Megiddo region in the Jezreel Valley, Israel, have pointed to the long-term presence of the Roman VIth Ferrata Legion at the site of el-Manach Hill. In 2013, the Jezreel Valley Regional Project (JVRP) conducted excavations on the northern side of the site. Architectural remains indicative of a Roman castra were uncovered, and finds confirm the presence of Legio VI Ferrata. Current evidence confirms dates for the site as a military base from the early 2nd century CE to its final abandonment by late 3rd to early 4th century CE.
This paper reports on a study conducted on archaeological sediments from two sites in the Jezreel... more This paper reports on a study conducted on archaeological sediments from two sites in the Jezreel Valley, Israel: the Roman military camp of Legio, dating to the 2nd-3rd centuries CE, and the Bronze Age village of Tel Megiddo East, dating to Early Bronze I. The primary purpose of the study was to test the assumption that chronologically-specific metallurgical production and consumption would be evident through trace elements within archaeological sediments. Sediment samples were analyzed using a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) device, as well as conventional wet chemistry techniques in order to compare the results between bulk element analysis and readily leachable cations, and to assess the feasibility of field-based pXRF for such study. Samples taken from various contexts at each site were analyzed specifically for concentrations of lead, copper, and zinc, which should hypothetically differ between a Roman Period site utilizing lead and brass (a copper/zinc alloy), versus an Early Bronze Age site participating in primarily copper metallurgy. Results demonstrate quantitative differences in the sediments between both sites, as well as the capability of pXRF to detect and quantify such trace elements. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the archaeo-metallurgical context of the two sites.
The camp discovered by Armageddon is the only full-scale Roman legionary base found so far in the... more The camp discovered by Armageddon is the only full-scale Roman legionary base found so far in the East: It housed the 'Ironclad' Sixth Legion, a cremated comrade in a cooking pot, and a Sacred Eagle, whose birdly squawks would be interpreted as portents of war.
This paper reports on a study conducted on archaeological sediments from two sites in the Jezreel... more This paper reports on a study conducted on archaeological sediments from two sites in the Jezreel Valley, Israel: the Roman military camp of Legio, dating to the 2nd-3rd centuries CE, and the Bronze Age village of Tel Megiddo East, dating to Early Bronze I. The primary purpose of the study was to test the assumption that chronologically-specific metallurgical production and consumption would be evident through trace elements within archaeological sediments. Sediment samples were analyzed using a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) device, as well as conventional wet chemistry techniques in order to compare the results between bulk element analysis and readily leachable cations, and to assess the feasibility of field-based pXRF for such study. Samples taken from various contexts at each site were analyzed specifically for concentrations of lead, copper, and zinc, which should hypothetically differ between a Roman Period site utilizing lead and brass (a copper/zinc alloy), versus an Early Bronze Age site participating in primarily copper metallurgy. Results demonstrate quantitative differences in the sediments between both sites, as well as the capability of pXRF to detect and quantify such trace elements. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the archaeo-metallurgical context of the two sites.
The historic event of the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA) was recently identified in dozens o... more The historic event of the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA) was recently identified in dozens of natural and geological climate proxies of the northern hemisphere. Although this climatic downturn was proposed as a major cause for pandemic and extensive societal upheavals in the sixth-seventh centuries CE, archaeological evidence for the magnitude of societal response to this event is sparse. This study uses ancient trash mounds as a type of proxy for identifying societal crisis in the urban domain, and employs multidisciplinary investigations to establish the terminal date of organized trash collection and high-level municipal functioning on a city-wide scale. Survey, excavation, sediment analysis, and geographic information system assessment of mound volume were conducted on a series of mounds surrounding the Byzantine urban settlement of Elusa in the Negev Desert. These reveal the massive collection and dumping of domestic and construction waste over time on the city edges. Carbon dating of charred seeds and charcoal fragments combined with ceramic analysis establish the end date of orchestrated trash removal near the mid-sixth century, coinciding closely with the beginning of the LALIA event and outbreak of the Justinian Plague in the year 541. This evidence for societal decline during the sixth century ties with other arguments for urban dysfunction across the Byzantine Le-vant at this time. We demonstrate the utility of trash mounds as sensitive proxies of social response and unravel the time-space dynamics of urban collapse, suggesting diminished resilience to rapid climate change in the frontier Negev region of the empire. ancient urban trash mounds | societal collapse | Late Antique Little Ice Age | Byzantine period | southern Levant
This article presents a systematic methodological comparison of three archaeobotanical proxies (p... more This article presents a systematic methodological comparison of three archaeobotanical proxies (phy-toliths, pollen and seeds) applied to an assemblage of dung pellets and corresponding archaeological refuse deposits from Early Islamic contexts at the site of Shivta. We set out with three main methodo-logical questions: one, to evaluate the relative input of botanical remains from dung in refuse assemblages ; two, to evaluate each archaeobotanical dataset and to test whether they are comparable, complementary or contradictory in their interpretations from dung; and three, infer herding practices at the site during the Early Islamic period. Our findings show that ovicaprine dung accumulated in Early Islamic Shivta during at least two periods: mid-7themid-8th centuries CE, and late-8themid-10th centuries CE. Methodologically, we see incomplete and incompatible reconstructions arise when each method is considered alone, with each proxy possessing its own advantages and limitations. Specifically, the amount of preserved seeds in dung pellets is low, which restricts statistical analysis and tends to emphasize small or hard-coated seeds and vegetation fruiting season; yet this method has the highest taxonomic power; pollen preserves only in uncharred pellets, emphasizes the flowering season and has an intermediate taxonomic value; phytoliths have the lowest taxonomic value yet complete the picture of livestock feeding habits by identifying leaf and stem remains, some from domestic cereals, which went unnoticed in both seed and pollen analyses. The combined archaeobotanical reconstruction from samples of the mid-7themid-8th centuries suggests that springtime herding at Shivta was based on free-grazing of wild vegetation, supplemented by chaff and/or hay from domestic cereals. For the late-8th emid-10th century samples, phytolith and pollen reconstruction indicates autumn-winter free-grazing with no evidence of foddering. Unlike the dung pellets, macrobotanical remains in the refuse deposits included domestic as well as wild taxa, the former mainly food plants that serve for human consumption. Plant remains in these refuse deposits originate primarily from domestic trash and are only partially composed of dung remains. The significance of this study is not only in its general methodological * Corresponding author. Quaternary Science Reviews 211 (2019) 166e185 contribution to archaeobotany, but also to lasting discussions regarding the contribution of dung remains to archaeological deposits used for seed, pollen and phytolith analyses. We offer here a strong method for determining whether deposits derive from dung alone, are mixed, or absolutely do not contain dung. This has important ramifications for archaeological interpretation.
A stamp with two lines of a Latin inscription was found in Shivta
(Sobata) in the Negev. The text... more A stamp with two lines of a Latin inscription was found in Shivta (Sobata) in the Negev. The text mentions the owner Clemens and a Comicus, his born slave, who was as manager responsible for the product which was marked with the stamp. The stamp belongs to the second/third century.
Global agro-biodiversity has resulted from processes of plant migration and agricultural adoption... more Global agro-biodiversity has resulted from processes of plant migration and agricultural adoption. Although critically affecting current diversity, crop diffusion from antiquity to the middle-ages is poorly researched, overshadowed by studies on that of prehistoric periods. A new archaeobotanical dataset from three Negev Highland desert sites demonstrates the first millennium CE's significance for long-term agricultural change in southwest Asia. This enables evaluation of the "Islamic Green Revolution" (IGR) thesis compared to "Roman Agricultural Diffusion" (RAD), and both versus crop diffusion since the Neolithic. Among the finds, some of the earliest Solanum melongena seeds in the Levant represent the proposed IGR. Several other identified economic plants, including two unprecedented in Levantine archaeobotany (Ziziphus jujuba, Lupinus albus), implicate RAD as the greater force for crop migrations. Altogether the evidence supports a gradualist model for Holocene-wide crop .
Olive (Olea europaea) trees in the arid Negev Desert of southern Israel are important relicts on ... more Olive (Olea europaea) trees in the arid Negev Desert of southern Israel are important relicts on the ancient agricultural landscape. Among them are a cluster of several trees located in Wadi Zetan, at the heart of the Shivta horticulture terroir, with its abundant agricultural runoff remains. Two isolated olive bearing trees stand in a sheltered beneath cliff in the upper part of the wadi. Radiocarbon dating of an internal part of the trunk of one of these living trees estimates its minimum age as the mid-16th-early 17th century CE (~500 years old). Archaeological excavations conducted beneath the trees and the adjacent dam revealed OSL samples of loess accumulation dated to the Early Islamic period (8th-9th centuries CE). The stratigraphy and chronology of this sediment deposition indicate its rapid and short accumulation. Palynological analysis of the same OSL dated samples indicates that grapevines and olive trees were cultivated in the immediate vicinity of the site during the Early Islamic period. The lack of pollen of cultivated taxa from the latter part of the sequence points to cessation of the agricultural activity, probably a few hundred years later. Leaf samples for DNA profiling of the trees in comparison to other local old olive trees around the country, indicate that the trees in Wadi Zetan are genetically close to a known cultivar common among ancient olive trees. The trees have survived for at least a few hundred years, in an arid area, due to the local conditions and enhanced drainage from the man-made upper runoff system. These old olive trees bear a powerful and symbolic significance, indicating the endurance and sustainability of ancient desert runoff agriculture. Moreover, the survival of their relicts in Wadi Zetan suggests their potential as cultivars greater resilience to the harsh growing conditions of arid environments.
The Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica), can be found in the arid regions of the Negev highland... more The Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica), can be found in the arid regions of the Negev highlands, the Judean desert, and the northern Arava in a number of clustered populations located near permanent water sources. The trees' distribution in the desert regions is not continuous, being disconnected from its major area of distribution along the Jordan River, where its distribution is uninterrupted. It is unclear how and when this disjunctive distribution occurred, and what were the initial ecological conditions for this poplar's original establishment and success. In this article we present a study of the current distribution of these trees within an arid environment, and of their various traditional uses. A strong relationship is demonstrated between the present location of the trees and settlements from the Roman and Byzantine periods (between the 1st century BCE to 7th century CE). Euphrates poplars are abundant today near early Christian monasteries, which could have been the main factor responsible for their present-day distribution.
This study presents a comprehensive paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Byzantine and Early ... more This study presents a comprehensive paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Byzantine and Early Islamic western Negev Desert communities during the 4th-8th centuries CE. The study is based on 33 pollen samples and hundreds of charcoal remains that were recovered from the villages of Shivta and Nitzana. The results demonstrate that during the 5-6th centuries CE flourishing desert agricultural communities existed on the periphery of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). The presence of diverse fruit-tree horticulture is revealed by both pollen and charcoal remains (grape, fig, olive, carob, almond/apricot, pomegranate, date palm and the exotic hazelnut). The rich botanical assemblages also provide evidence of the cultivation by irrigation of conifers and other Mediterranean trees common to the more humid Mediterranean vegetation zone, including the prestigious cedar of Lebanon. The palynological reconstruction of an ornamental garden at Shivta indicates the ability to invest water and labor, not only for horticultural and construction purposes, but also for ornamental greenery. We therefore suggest that the Byzantine Negev Desert community was a luxury society in contrast to societies living in a mode of survival in challenging desert environments. During the Early Islamic period (since the second half of the 7th century CE), our data show a dramatic decline in fruit-tree horticulture coupled with indicators signifying overexploitation for fuel of the nearby natural woody desert environment. Hence, we claim that in addition to previous possible explanations for the demise of the Negev Byzantine communities (plague pandemic, climate change, the Muslim conquest), overexploitation of the natural vegetation should also be taken into account. This study therefore helps address historical questions that are also pertinent to the modern era, regarding the existence of flourishing societies in challenging environments, overexploitation of the natural environment, and neglect of sustainability.
The international scope of the Mediterranean wine trade in Late Antiquity raises important questi... more The international scope of the Mediterranean wine trade in Late Antiquity raises important questions concerning sustainability in an ancient international economy and offers a valuable historical precedent to modern globalization. Such questions involve the role of intercontinental commerce in maintaining sustainable production within important supply regions and the vulnerability of peripheral regions believed to have been especially sensitive to environmental and political disturbances. We provide archaeobo-tanical evidence from trash mounds at three sites in the central Negev Desert, Israel, unraveling the rise and fall of viticulture over the second to eighth centuries of the common era (CE). Using quantitative ceramic data obtained in the same archaeological contexts, we further investigate connections between Negev viticulture and circum-Mediterranean trade. Our findings demonstrate interrelated growth in viticulture and involvement in Med-iterranean trade reaching what appears to be a commercial scale in the fourth to mid-sixth centuries. Following a mid-sixth century peak, decline of this system is evident in the mid-to late sixth century, nearly a century before the Islamic conquest. These findings closely correspond with other archaeological evidence for social , economic, and urban growth in the fourth century and decline centered on the mid-sixth century. Contracting markets were a likely proximate cause for the decline; possible triggers include climate change, plague, and wider sociopolitical developments. In long-term historical perspective, the unprecedented commercial florescence of the Late Antique Negev appears to have been un-sustainable, reverting to an age-old pattern of smaller-scale settlement and survival-subsistence strategies within a time frame of about two centuries. Negev | Byzantine Empire | archaeobotany | protoglobalization | economic archaeology
Legio is the base of the Roman II Triana and the VI Ferrata Legion, occupied from the early 2nd c... more Legio is the base of the Roman II Triana and the VI Ferrata Legion, occupied from the early 2nd century to the early 4th century CE. It is the first of its kind to be excavated in the Eastern Roman Empire. Today the site sprawls beneath 30 hectares of pasture with slopes up to 15 degrees. Rapid, dense ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey with an antenna array would be ideal, but so far logistically impractical. The survey has proceeded since 2013 with a single 400 MHz antenna using parallel transects 0.5m apart for 5.85 ha to date. Like most Roman bases, Legio includes an extensive network of buildings and streets enclosed by rectangular fortifications. Unlike most Roman bases, however, it was constructed on a hillside with architectural components built by a combination of bedrock incision and above-ground construction. In addition, much of the site’s stonework has been robbed. These aspects demand topographic correction and interpretation using reflection profiles, depth slices, and 3D models. This paper presents data processing and results for the principia (central headquarters). Previous investigations were conducted at Legio and surrounding area by Tel Aviv University from 1998 to 2010. GPR and excavations since 2013 have been conducted as part of the Jezreel Valley Regional Project (JVRP)in association with the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research.
Forty-six silver tetradrachms, 44 of them forming a hoard, were discovered in the unusual context... more Forty-six silver tetradrachms, 44 of them forming a hoard, were discovered in the unusual context of a mass grave, in the Roman-period cemetery in the colony of ‘Akko-Ptolemais. The coins range from Nero to Hadrian, with a terminus post quem for the hoard’s deposition in 119 CE. We argue that previous attempts to connect the hoard to the Bar Kokhba revolt are untenable, and suggest several possible scenarios for its deposition, none of them provable.
The excavation (c. 400 sq m), following a survey and multiple trial trenches, took place c. 50 m ... more The excavation (c. 400 sq m), following a survey and multiple trial trenches, took place c. 50 m south of Nahal Be’er Sheva‘ and about 0.5 km southeast of the old city of Be’er Sheva‘.
The evidence for Roman-period roads in Judea-Palestine is abundant. Imperial roads were construct... more The evidence for Roman-period roads in Judea-Palestine is abundant. Imperial roads were constructed using the same methods as elsewherewith milestones at fixed distances. These milestones bear inscriptions that list the builder's name and the distance and destinations of the road. During the second and third centuries C.E., Roman engineers built many new roads all over the country. This road system allowed supplies to be moved between the main urban areas and army centers. But in our study of these roads, we noticed something else: At the pass of Beit Horon, northwest of Jerusalem, we first noticed a few curved steps, about 5.5 feet wide, alongside the Roman imperial road, the latter more than double the width of the steps. Both led toward Jerusalem. We assume that the curved steps were constructed first for walking, and only later a paved road was constructed beside them. The paved road had a low incline and a serpentine design, suitable for animal-drawn wagons. The Jewish historian Josephus called the traditional pilgrim road to Jerusalem up the Beit Horon ascent a "public road" (Greek: Demosia hodos), 1 or "[the road] that bears the people" (Greek: Leophoros). 2 This road was no doubt used by Jewish pilgrims on their way to the Temple in Jerusalem before its destruction by the Romans in 70 C.E.
During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), ser... more During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn ‘Amir (the Jezreel Valley), served as one of Ottoman Palestine’s provincial capitals under the administration of the Turabay Dynasty (1517–1688 CE), and was an important centre on the imperial highway between Damascus and Cairo. However, the town of this period has never been the subject of historical investigation. This paper seeks to bring together, assess and synthesize, rarely accessed Arabic and Ottoman Turkish sources, along with oral histories and an archaeological survey, to provide the first comprehensive historical account of Turabay al-Lajjun and its ultimate demise in the 19th century CE.
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בנימין מזר ניהל את עונות החפירות הארכיאולוגיות הראשונות על גבעת בית-שערים בימי המאורעות (1940-1936), ונחמן אביגד בשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל (1958-1953).
מפעל החפירות שנעשה בעזרת מורים, סטודנטים ובוגרים של האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים ובעזרת עולים חדשים היה התנסות ראשונה לארכיאולוגים בראשית דרכם ועורר הד ציבורי רחב ותחושות לאומיות בתקופת טרום המדינה ובשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל.
על גבעת שיך אבריך ובמורדותיה נחשפו שרידי יישוב מתקופת הברזל שהתפתח בתקופה ההלניסטית והרומית. שיאו של היישוב היה בימי רבי יהודה הנשיא ובימים שהסנהדרין שכנה בבית-שערים, ובזמן שהיישוב שימש מרכז קבורה ליהודי הארץ והתפוצות. מידע ראשוני על תשע עונות של חפירות ארכיאולוגיות בבית: שערים, פורסם ברבעונים, ובשנתונים ובספרים בהוצאת ה"חברה לחקירת ארץ ישראל ועתיקותיה" שהשתתפה במפעל החפירות בבית-שערים ונשאה בעול ניהול החפירה.
היום, לאחר שנות דור מזמן חשיפת שרידי בית-שערים, בא הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" למלא את החסר בכינוס מידע מעודכן על שרידי היישוב, לפי פרסומים ראשוניים של החופרים ולפי שרידים שנותרו במקום.
בין פרקי הספר: היבטים כלליים על תולדות היישוב ועל מיקומו במרחב גיאוגרפי והיסטורי; תיאור שרידי היישוב ותולדותיו ועל הקבורה הציבורית שהתפתחה לצידו, כולל מחקרים שנכתבו במיוחד לשם כך. רשימת המקורות שלוקטה בספר מציעה נתונים בלעדיים אודות שרידי היישוב בית-שערים ורשימה משותפת של ביקורות ומראי מקום מספרות המחקר אודות בית-שערים והקבורה לצידו, ממנה עולה כיצד החוקרים והציבור איבדו עניין בשרידי היישוב על הגבעה ועסקו בקבורה ובכתובות.
כתב היד הובא לפרופ' בנימין מזר שבירך את מטרתו, על הערכות השונות משלי המובאות בו, ואף הציע עזרה בהכנת כתב היד ובכתיבת מבוא. מותו הקדים את הכנת כתב היד לדפוס. הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" מוקדש על ידי המחברים לזכרם של פרופ' בנימין מזר ופרופ' נחמן אביגד, חוקרי בית-שערים שפעלו לחשיפת שרידי היישוב ואינם עוד.
בספר תועדו עשרות מעלות מדורגים ברחבי ארץ ישראל, ונבדק היחס בין הסלילה הרומית האימפריאלית לדרכי עולי הרגל בימי הבית השני. תיאור הדרכים האלה ממחיש את התופעה של העלייה לרגל ומעניק למנהג היהודי עתיק היומין הזה, משמעות מחודשת.
ההיסטוריון, יוסף בן מתתיהו כינה את מעלה בית חוֹרוֹן – דרך מסורתית שהלכו בה עולי הרגל אל ירושלים בשם הציורי:
"(דרך) נושאת עם". הכינוי ההיסטורי הזה נתן את השראתו לשם של ספרנו.
יגאל ויותם טפר, אב ובנו, מחברי הספר הולכים שנים רבות בדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות של עולי הרגל לאורכה ולרוחבה של הארץ, ופעילים גם בצוות המחקר של הכבישים הרומיים באוניברסיטת תל אביב.
בספרם מתוארת התופעה הארכיאולוגית הייחודית של המעלות המדורגים והחצובים לאורכן של הדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות בארץ, המתכנסות כמניפה גדולה, מקצוות הארץ אל ירושלים.
ספרם הקודם, בית שערים - הישוב והקבורה לצידו, ראה אור בהוצאת הקיבוץ המאוחד
Elie Haddad
Liat Nadav-Ziv
Jon Seligman
Daniel Varga
Pablo Betzer
Amit Shadman
Oren Tal
Yotam Tepper
Papers by Yotam Tepper
בנימין מזר ניהל את עונות החפירות הארכיאולוגיות הראשונות על גבעת בית-שערים בימי המאורעות (1940-1936), ונחמן אביגד בשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל (1958-1953).
מפעל החפירות שנעשה בעזרת מורים, סטודנטים ובוגרים של האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים ובעזרת עולים חדשים היה התנסות ראשונה לארכיאולוגים בראשית דרכם ועורר הד ציבורי רחב ותחושות לאומיות בתקופת טרום המדינה ובשנים הראשונות של מדינת ישראל.
על גבעת שיך אבריך ובמורדותיה נחשפו שרידי יישוב מתקופת הברזל שהתפתח בתקופה ההלניסטית והרומית. שיאו של היישוב היה בימי רבי יהודה הנשיא ובימים שהסנהדרין שכנה בבית-שערים, ובזמן שהיישוב שימש מרכז קבורה ליהודי הארץ והתפוצות. מידע ראשוני על תשע עונות של חפירות ארכיאולוגיות בבית: שערים, פורסם ברבעונים, ובשנתונים ובספרים בהוצאת ה"חברה לחקירת ארץ ישראל ועתיקותיה" שהשתתפה במפעל החפירות בבית-שערים ונשאה בעול ניהול החפירה.
היום, לאחר שנות דור מזמן חשיפת שרידי בית-שערים, בא הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" למלא את החסר בכינוס מידע מעודכן על שרידי היישוב, לפי פרסומים ראשוניים של החופרים ולפי שרידים שנותרו במקום.
בין פרקי הספר: היבטים כלליים על תולדות היישוב ועל מיקומו במרחב גיאוגרפי והיסטורי; תיאור שרידי היישוב ותולדותיו ועל הקבורה הציבורית שהתפתחה לצידו, כולל מחקרים שנכתבו במיוחד לשם כך. רשימת המקורות שלוקטה בספר מציעה נתונים בלעדיים אודות שרידי היישוב בית-שערים ורשימה משותפת של ביקורות ומראי מקום מספרות המחקר אודות בית-שערים והקבורה לצידו, ממנה עולה כיצד החוקרים והציבור איבדו עניין בשרידי היישוב על הגבעה ועסקו בקבורה ובכתובות.
כתב היד הובא לפרופ' בנימין מזר שבירך את מטרתו, על הערכות השונות משלי המובאות בו, ואף הציע עזרה בהכנת כתב היד ובכתיבת מבוא. מותו הקדים את הכנת כתב היד לדפוס. הספר "בית-שערים: היישוב והקבורה לצידו" מוקדש על ידי המחברים לזכרם של פרופ' בנימין מזר ופרופ' נחמן אביגד, חוקרי בית-שערים שפעלו לחשיפת שרידי היישוב ואינם עוד.
בספר תועדו עשרות מעלות מדורגים ברחבי ארץ ישראל, ונבדק היחס בין הסלילה הרומית האימפריאלית לדרכי עולי הרגל בימי הבית השני. תיאור הדרכים האלה ממחיש את התופעה של העלייה לרגל ומעניק למנהג היהודי עתיק היומין הזה, משמעות מחודשת.
ההיסטוריון, יוסף בן מתתיהו כינה את מעלה בית חוֹרוֹן – דרך מסורתית שהלכו בה עולי הרגל אל ירושלים בשם הציורי:
"(דרך) נושאת עם". הכינוי ההיסטורי הזה נתן את השראתו לשם של ספרנו.
יגאל ויותם טפר, אב ובנו, מחברי הספר הולכים שנים רבות בדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות של עולי הרגל לאורכה ולרוחבה של הארץ, ופעילים גם בצוות המחקר של הכבישים הרומיים באוניברסיטת תל אביב.
בספרם מתוארת התופעה הארכיאולוגית הייחודית של המעלות המדורגים והחצובים לאורכן של הדרכים הקדומות והמסורתיות בארץ, המתכנסות כמניפה גדולה, מקצוות הארץ אל ירושלים.
ספרם הקודם, בית שערים - הישוב והקבורה לצידו, ראה אור בהוצאת הקיבוץ המאוחד
Elie Haddad
Liat Nadav-Ziv
Jon Seligman
Daniel Varga
Pablo Betzer
Amit Shadman
Oren Tal
Yotam Tepper
century CE.
(Sobata) in the Negev. The text mentions the owner Clemens and a
Comicus, his born slave, who was as manager responsible for the
product which was marked with the stamp. The stamp belongs to the
second/third century.