Heavily equipped with geophysical prospecting gear, we set out for Israel in order to unravel the buried mysteries of Ramat Rahel and Tell Azekah. Our team was part of the excavation projects carried out under the auspices of Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, and the chair of Old Testament Studies and Ancient Jewish History of Heidelberg University. The major focus was on geomorphological mapping and detection of hitherto unknown subsoil features, which could be of importance for future archaeological surveying and, thus, a better understanding of the sites in terms of their raison d’être and function.
Ramat Rahel: geophysical on-site survey
Several electrical resitivity transects (ERT) were measured on-site within the archaeological zone. The outcomes could successfully be used for ongoing excavations. Among others, an ancient water reservoir was thus be detected. Check out this report by the The Ramat Rahel Archaeological Project to find out more.
Preparations for ERT: Hammering metal rods into rock-hard topsoil at Ramat Rahel against the scenic backdrop of Jerusalem
Historical background
The archaeological site of Ramat Rahel, the first area to be studied, is located in the western part of Kibbutz Ramat Rahel on a hilltop (818 m a.s.l.), about midway between the Old City of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. According to the findings made, it was inhabited since the last century of the kingdom of Judah (7th century BCE) until the early Muslim reign in Palestine (10th century CE). Previous excavations at the site unearthed a large scale citadel with a royal palace from the time of the last kings of Judah. It was probably first built by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18–20). The citadel is surrounded with a large, impressive casemate wall, which is typical of the ancient Israelite monarchies. Inside this wall, a magnificent palace was unearthed. This is the only royal palace ever found from the kingdom of Judah. Proto-Aeolic capitals, window balustrades, and other finds reveal the luxury of this royal residence. Not only does this site boast the only known Judaean palace, it also has a special water system that was used to fructify beautiful royal gardens. Rain water collected from roof tops were stored in reservoirs and then used to water gardens planted around the royal edifice at the site.
Ramat Rahel was one of the most important administrative centers in ancient Judah. A large number of seal impressions dated to the Iron Age, Persian and Hellenistic periods reveal administrative activity of tax collection. We have found about 200 lmlk (means: “belonging to the king”) seal impressions, dated to the time of king Hezekiah; dozens of rosette seal impressions dated to the time of King Josiah (2 Kings 22–23); and 250 yehud seal impressions dated to the Persian period (after the Second Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem and Judah became the province of “Yehud” within the Persian Empire). We have also found yrslm (“Jerusalem”) seal impressions with the five pointed star. They date to the Hellenistic period, when the Ptolemaic and the Seleucid kings ruled Palestine.
2D resistivity array measured on the central platform of the archaeological site
All this proves beyond adoubt that Ramat Rahel served not only as an impressive royal citadel, but that it was also an important administrative center, probably of the foreign empires that ruled over Judah from the 7th century to the 2nd century BCE. Maybe this was a contributing factor in the decision of the Jewish dynasty of the Maccabees to destroy the beautiful gardens, when they seized the throne of Jerusalem in the middle of the 2nd century BCE. When the the Hasmonean-Maccabean dynasty rebelled against the Seleucid (Greek) regime in Judah and won several major battles, the character of Ramat Rahel changed from being a royal or administrative center. During the Hasmonean period, the royal gardens were destroyed and the water was used to nourish about 20 Jewish ritual baths (Mikvaot)! Furthermore, many columbaria were built to breed sacrificial doves that Jewish pilgrims could purchase on their way to Jerusalem. Ramat Rahel turned into a Jewish religious place—a way station on the route to Jerusalem where Jews could take ritual baths and prepare for their entry into the holy city of Jerusalem. Today, this site, with a beautiful hotel occupying some of its grounds, still functions as a respite for a variety of religious travelers visiting Jerusalem. [A/N: The section on the history of Ramat Rahel displayed above was authored by and taken from The Ramat Rahel Archaeological Project ©. The original version can be found in full length here].
Tell Azekah: viewing the subsurface
Tell Azekah, the second study area, is located 50km south-west of Jerusalem and 26km northwest of Hebron. This gigantic archaeological mound rises above the upper reaches of the valley of Elah. Excavations by the English archeologists Frederick J. Bliss and R. A. Stewart Macalister in the period 1898-1900 revealed a fortress, water systems, hideout caves used during Bar Kokhba revolt and other antiquities (cf.).
As in Ramat Rahel, 2D and 3D tomographies were measured to gain better insights into the buried mysteries of the site. In correspondence to the archaeologists presumptions based on surface field surveying findings, numerous wall remains and remnants of buildings were detected and precisely located. Have a look at this website to find out more about the fascinating aracheology of the Tell and its excavation.
Tell Azekah
ERT array aligned uphill to gain insight into the longitudinal structure of the mound
TerraScientia 