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Itamar Texel

Abstract

This article reviews the history of two central ancient settlements located on the southern coastal plain: the city of Yavne and the port city of Yavne-Yam, from the Persian period until after the Crusader conquest (fifth century BCE–twelfth century CE), as they are reflected in the written sources and mainly, in the archaeological record. The settlements of Yavne and Yavne-Yam maintained a reciprocal relationship, as well as a relationship of dependence, probably based on their geographical proximity: Yavne served as an administrative and economic center, commanding the major crossroads, while Yavne-Yam served as a natural anchorage, offering convenient access to the Mediterranean Sea. However, in periods when both cities existed contemporarily, each of them developed independently. This article discusses the similarities and differences between the two cities, dictated, inter alia, by their religious-ethnic affiliation and the extent of local and international influences. It seems that the lands controlled by these cities, and the nature of the rural activity in their vicinity, led to differences in their agricultural hinterland. The last time that these cities interacted was in the first half of the twelfth century CE, following the establishment of the Crusader Lordship of Ibelin, when a new chapter in the history of Yavne began, while Yavne-Yam, which until then had served as a Muslim military outpost, was abandoned and never resettled.

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