Israel and You Spaces and Places in Israel
Tel Azekah
Tel Azekah (Tell Zakariya) is located in the heart of the Judean Lowland (347 meters above sea level), Tel Azekah once controlled a strategic junction of roads from the Mediterranean coast to the Judean Hills, and connects Beth-Shemesh in the north and Lachish in the south.
The site was settled during the late phase of the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2500-2200 BCE), was surrounded by a massive wall in the Middle Bronze Age II (ca. 1800-1500 BCE) and reached the peak of its prosperity in the Late Bronze Age (1500-1200 BCE). In the early Iron Age Azekah was within the area ruled by the Philistines. During the Iron Age II the site became a Judahite border town. An Assyrian inscription claims that Azekah was the first target of King Sennacherib’s army when he attacked Judah in 701 BCE.
The visits to Tel Azekah are unparalleled, drawing hundreds of visitors to the site each and every year.
Tel Azekah – New Digs
Since 2012, O. Lipschits, Y. Gadot and M. Oeming have excavated the site each summer as part of a long term project under the auspices of Tel Aviv and Heidelberg Universities (the Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition). The Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition has compiled details each area of the present archaeological excavation. Tour guides, tourists, and educators, are encouraged to download the ‘Guide to Azekah’. The guide details the periods of occupation at Azekah, the finds and architecture of the ongoing excavations and digs, and reveals what the Biblical text has to say about this rare and unique site.
For more information relating to Tel Azekah or to learn how to excavate, feel free to contact the team online at azekah.excavations@gmail.com
Download you guide to Azekah: Tour.Azekah
Archaeological Excavations in Israel 2016
A list of archaeological expeditions in Israel 2016 which accept volunteers is compiled by the Israel Foreign Ministry as a service to the public. Persons interested in volunteering to participate in the digs should contact the person indicated for each project.
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