IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

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  'Akko III. The 1991–1998 Excavations: The Late Periods. Part I: The Hospitaller Compound

  Eliezer Stern and Danny Syon

  Akko III: The Late Periods comprises two parts (IAA Reports 72 and 73), the third and fourth volumes in a series publishing the results of four excavations that took place within and just outside of the Old City of ‘Akko between 1991 and 1998. These two volumes present the archaeological finds from the Early Islamic to Ottoman periods, concentrating on the architecture and small finds from the Crusader period.

  The present volume (Part 1; IAA Reports 72) presents the excavations at the site of the Hospitaller Compound. The Introduction comprises a brief survey of the history of ‘Akko from the Early Islamic to the Ottoman periods, based on documents, maps, engravings and photographs, and a short summary of the archaeological research, with a reference map of most of the archaeological excavations of the Crusader period in the city. This is followed by descriptions of the above-ground architecture, the stratigraphy and excavation results and related analyses, as well as reconstruction and conservation works. The small finds include glass and metal objects and Ottoman clay pipes (the pottery was published in Akko I, IAA Reports 51). A summarizing chapter integrates all these studies––history, architecture and archaeology.

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  The Naḥal Tanninim Dam and Its Vicinity: Final Report of the 2000–2005 Excavation Seasons

  Yosef Porath, Uzi ‘Ad, and ‘Abed al-Salam Sa‘id

  This volume describes the results of the IAA excavations at the Naḥal Tanninim Dam and the adjacent flour mills and water channels, conducted over 10 excavation seasons (2000–2005). This massive, sophisticated hydraulic facility was constructed in the early Byzantine period to convey water from the lower course of Naḥal Tanninim to the city of Caesarea Maritima to the south. To this end, the shared outlet of Naḥal Tanninim and Naḥal Ada through the coastal kurkar ridge was blocked by a massive gravity dam to create an immense reservoir, and a sluice diverted water to the Low-Level Aqueduct to Caesarea; the surplus water in the reservoir was used to operate a cluster of flour mills hewn in the bedrock to the west of the dam. As revealed in the present excavations, an apparent error in the calculation of the slope of the aqueduct prevented the delivery of the planned amount of water to Caesarea; thus, the portion of water diverted to the flour mills increased over the Byzantine period. The facility fell into disuse following the Muslim conquest, but the dam continued to block the outlet of the two streams and provide water to operate flour mills during the Ottoman period, until the early twentieth century. The water facilities and many finds uncovered in the archaeological excavations are now on display in the Naḥal Tanninim National Park.

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  Ashqelon Barne‘a: The Early Bronze Age Site : Volume II : The Finds

  Amir Golani

  Ashqelon Barne'a the Early Bronze Age Site, Volume II, the Finds (IAA reports 70), is the second of two volumes comprising the complete and final report of the three excavation seasons at the Early Bronze Age I site of Ashqelon Barne‘a that took place in 2004 and 2005. Volume I (IAA Reports 65) includes an introduction to the excavations, the geographical and geomorphological setting, the stratigraphy, architecture and settlement planning, radiocarbon (14C) dating and an appendix concerning Byzantine remains. Volume II , the finds, is comprised of thirteen chapters and includes a full presentation of the ceramic assemblage, its petrographic analysis, the flint and groundstone assemblages, the metal objects, the bone tool industry, small finds of ceramic and stone, human skeletal remains and mortuary practices, the faunal, fish, mollusc and archaeobotanical remains as well as a full summary and discussion of the excavation and its finds.

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  The Kathisma Church and Monastery of Mary Theotokos on the Jerusalem–Bethlehem Road Final Report of the 1992, 1997, 1999 and 2000 Excavation Seasons

  Rina Avner

  This volume documents the excavations of the Kathisma church and monastery located on the ancient road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Kathisma is mentioned in Byzantine sources and pilgrimage itineraries, and identified as the holy place where Mary sat down to rest in her final stage of pregnancy before giving birth to Jesus. It played a role in the initial stages of Mary’s worship and its influence is still felt today. The octagonal church, built in the fifth century CE, is one of the most important discoveries of Early Christian architecture in the Holy Land in recent decades. The size of the church and its architectural plan, based on three concentric octagons, attest to it being designed as a pilgrimage church that could accommodate large audiences. In the Umayyad period, the church served both Muslim and Christian worshippers, as indicated by a miḥrab installed in the southern part, and the cancelation of the main apse by an Umayyad building. The splendid mosaics from this period in the southern rooms testify to artistic and iconographic influences of the wall mosaics in the Dome of the Rock. The evidence for the existence of a mosque in the Kathisma church constitutes the only archaeological evidence known to date for the ‘Covenants of ‘Umar’, which obliged Christians to relinquish areas in churches to Muslims.

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  ‘En Esur (‘Ein Asawir) III Excavations in the Bronze Age Cemetery

  Yehuda Dagan and Shelley Sadeh

  This volume is the third in a series of reports documenting excavations at the large protohistoric site of ‘En Esur and its extensive burial grounds, located in the northern Sharon plain along a major ancient trade route. The four relatively intact and undisturbed Early Bronze Age burial caves presented in the current volume, excavated in the framework of the Cross Israel Highway Project, revealed over 2000 complete ceramic vessels representing an uninterrupted sequence over several hundred years. These four burial caves comprise an invaluable contribution to our knowledge of the society, trade relations and burial customs in the region during the Early Bronze Age.

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  Jerusalem: Western Wall Plaza Excavations Volume III The Roman and Byzantine Periods: Small Finds from the Roman Refuse Dump and Other Contexts

  Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah and Alexander Onn

  This volume is the third in a series describing the results of salvage excavations conducted in the northwestern part of the Western Wall Plaza. This third volume presents the small finds of the Early Roman to Byzantine periods, most of which originated in the ‘Roman refuse dump’, a fill deposited into an abandoned quarry during infrastructure work, and then sealed by the paving stones of the Eastern Cardo. The well-preserved and securely dated finds (70–130 CE) can be clearly attributed to the Roman army. The volume describes the numerous quarries at the site that shaped the surface topography, and the rich variety of small finds from the refuse dump and other contexts. The coins and pottery vessels were published in the previous two volumes.

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  Jerusalem: Excavations in the Tyropoeon Valley (Givati Parking Lot) Volume II The Byzantine and Early Islamic Periods Part 3: Complementary Studies of Various Finds

  Doron Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets

  This volume is the second in a series of final reports presenting the results of the excavations conducted in the Givati Parking Lot, located on the eastern slope of the Tyropoeon Valley in Jerusalem. The site covers an area of c. 0.5 hectares, making it one of the largest excavations in the City of David. This second volume is comprised of three parts, and presents the remains of the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. The exposure of Byzantine and Early Islamic remains over an extensive area has enabled a reassessment of the nature of the transition between these two periods, and has shed light on numerous aspects of settlement patterns and city planning in both periods, as well as the question of the city’s southern limits in the Early Islamic period. The current Part 3 presents analyses of finds from both the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods.

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  Jerusalem: Excavations in the Tyropoeon Valley (Givati Parking Lot) Volume II The Byzantine and Early Islamic Periods Part 2: Strata IV–I:The Early Islamic Period

  Doron Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets

  This volume is the second in a series of final reports presenting the results of the excavations conducted in the Givati Parking Lot, located on the eastern slope of the Tyropoeon Valley in Jerusalem. The site covers an area of c. 0.5 hectares, making it one of the largest excavations in the City of David. This second volume is comprised of three parts, and presents the remains of the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. The exposure of Byzantine and Early Islamic remains over an extensive area has enabled a reassessment of the nature of the transition between these two periods, and has shed light on numerous aspects of settlement patterns and city planning in both periods, as well as the question of the city’s southern limits in the Early Islamic period. The current Part 2 is devoted to the stratigraphy and finds of the Early Islamic period.

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  Jerusalem: Excavations in the Tyropoeon Valley (Givati Parking Lot) Volume II The Byzantine and Early Islamic Periods Part 1: Stratum V: The Byzantine Period

  Doron Ben-Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets

  This volume is the second in a series of final reports presenting the results of the excavations conducted in the Givati Parking Lot, located on the eastern slope of the Tyropoeon Valley in Jerusalem. The site covers an area of c. 0.5 hectares, making it one of the largest excavations in the City of David. This second volume is comprised of three parts, and presents the remains of the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. The exposure of Byzantine and Early Islamic remains over an extensive area has enabled a reassessment of the nature of the transition between these two periods, and has shed light on numerous aspects of settlement patterns and city planning in both periods, as well as the question of the city’s southern limits in the Early Islamic period. The current Part 1 is devoted to the stratigraphy and finds of the Byzantine period.

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  Ashqelon Barne‘a: The Early Bronze Age Site Volume I The Excavat ions

  Amir Golani

  This is the first of two volumes that comprise the final report of the three excavation seasons at the site. It focuses primarily on the stratigraphy and architecture. Chapter 1 briefly describes the siteʼs physical characteristics, paleoenvironment and subsistence strategies, previous research at the site, excavation strategy and methodology; Chapter 2 presents the geomorphology of the site and its environs, and a sedimentological analysis of the various strata; Chapter 3 details the siteʼs stratigraphy; Chapter 4 is a synthesis and comprehensive discussion of the stratigraphy, architecture and elements of settlement planning.

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  Jerusalem: Western Wall Plaza Excavations Volume II The Pottery from the Eastern Cardo

  Renate Rosenthal-Heginbottom

  This volume is the second in a series describing the results of salvage excavations conducted in the northwestern part of the Western Wall Plaza. This volume presents the Roman pottery from the Eastern Cardo, most of which originated in the ‘Roman refuse dump’, a fill deposited into an abandoned quarry during infrastructure work, and then sealed by the paving stones of the Eastern Cardo. The well-preserved and securely dated finds (70–130 CE) can be clearly attributed to the Roman army.

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  Jerusalem: Western Wall Plaza Excavations Volume I The Roman and Byzantine Remains: Architecture and Stratigraphy

  Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah and Alexander Onn

  This is the first volume in a series describing the results of salvage excavations conducted in the northwestern part of the Western Wall Plaza. Despite the fact that the Old City of Jerusalem has been continuously investigated during the last 150 years, it is the first time that this area, located c. 100 m west of the Temple Mount, has been excavated and thus, the results are of great significance. This volume describes our excavations that descended to bedrock, exposing 15 strata that span 2700–2800 years, from the Late Iron Age quarries to the Roman and Byzantine Eastern Cardo, its architecture and finds.

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  BET SHE’AN IV: Hellenistic Nysa-Scythopolis The Amphora Stamps and Sealings from Tel Iztabba

  Gaby Mazor, Walid Atrash, and Gerald Finkielsztejn

  This volume of the Bet She’an Archaeological Project Publications of the Israel Antiquities Authority presents the Hellenistic amphora stamps and sealings from the excavations at Tel Iztabba. The authors place these finds in their archaeological and historical contexts. Topics:Tel Iztabba, Tell el-Mastaba, Hellenistic Nysa-Scythopolis, amphora stamps, sealings (bullae)

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  Bet Yerah: Volume III: Hellenistic Philoteria and Islamic al-Sinnabra The 1933–1986 and 2007–2013 Excavations

  Raphael Greenberg, Oren Tal, and Tawfiq Da‘adli

  This, the third and final volume of reports dedicated to the publication of the 1933–1986 excavations at Khirbat al-Karak (Kh. Kerak)/Tel Bet Yeraḥ, describes the remains belonging to the Hellenistic town of Philoteria and the Early Islamic palace of al-Sinnabra, excavated in the northern and southern parts of the site.

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  ‘Akko II: The 1991–1998 Excavations: The Early Periods

  Moshe Hartal, Danny Syon, Eliezer Stern, and Ayelet Tatcher

  chapter 1. `Akko-Ptolemais - a maritime city at the crossroads of ancient civilizitions until Roman times / Nadav Kashtan -- part I. Excavations at the courthouse site. chapter 2. The courthouse site: architecture and stratigraphy of areas TB and TC / Moshe Hartal -- chapter 3. The courthouse site: the glass from areas TB and TC / Natalya Katsnelson -- chapter 4. The courthouse site: loomweights and whorls / Orit Shamir -- part II. Excavations in the Hospitaller compound. chapter 5. The Hospitaller compound: Hellenistic and early Roman remains / Eliezer Stern -- chapter 6. The Hospitaller compound: Hellenistic and early Roman glass vessels / Yael Gorin-Rosen -- chapter 7. The Hospitaller compound: terracotta figurines / Natalie Messika -- chapter 8. The Hospitaller compound: ballista balls / Ayelet Tatcher -- part III. Finds and studies. chapter 9. The Hellenistic and early Roman pottery / Andrea M. Berlin and Peter J. Stone -- chapter 10. The Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine coins / Danny Syon -- chapter 11. The geography of Hellenistic `Akko-Ptolemais / Eliezer Stern

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  Gamla III: The Shmarya Gutmann Excavations 1976–1989: Finds and Studies: Part 2

  Danny Syon

  This volume is Part 2 of the publication of the many finds assemblages from Gamla, including the glass, stone, metal, jewelry finds and many others, as well as a number of analytical studies. Finds related to the Jewish War and the coins were published in IAA Reports 56.

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  Bet She’an III: Nysa-Scythopolis: The Southern and Severan Theaters: Part 2: The Architecture

  Gabriel Mazor and Walid Atrash

  Bet She'an III Nysa-Scythopolis: The Southern and Severan Theaters. Part 2: The Architecture provides an architectural analysis and a proposed reconstruction of the Southern and Severan Theaters in Nysa-Scythopolis based on the stratigraphy and the finds revealed in the excavations conducted by Applebaum in 1960–1962 and the IAA, in 1986–2002. It further presents the development of Roman theaters and their integration into the civic centers of the poleis of the Roman East as an on-going process of construction and renovation that corresponded with the urban development and prosperity of the cities, from the late first century BCE to the mid-third century CE.

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  Bet She’an III: Nysa-Scythopolis: The Southern and Severan Theaters, Part 1: The Stratigraphy and Finds

  Gabriel Mazor and Walid Atrash

  Bet She'an III Nysa - Scythopolis: The Southern And Severan Theaters. part 1: The stratigraphy and finds. chapter 1. Introduction / Gabriel Mazor and Walid Atrash -- chapter 2. The southern theater / Gabriel Mazor and Walid Atrash -- chapter 3. The Severan theater / Gabriel Mazor and Walid Atrash -- chapter 4. The pottery / Débora Sandhaus and Marc Balouka -- chapter 5. The glass finds / Tamar Winter -- chapter 6. The coins / Ariel Berman

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  Caesarea Maritima, Volume I: Herod’s Circus and Related Buildings, Part 2: The Finds

  Yosef Porath

  This is Part 2 of Volume I in a series of final reports of the IAA Excavation Project at Caesarea (1992–1998), the renowned ancient city built by King Herod. Volume 1: Part 2 presents the pottery, coins and glass finds from excavations in Herod’s Circus.

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  Gamla III: The Shmarya Gutmann Excavations 1976–1989: Finds and Studies, Part 1

  Danny Syon

  This volume is Part 1 of the publication of the finds from Gamla. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the history of Gamla and a background for the many rich finds. This first volume presents the finds related to the Jewish War and the coins, a prime chronological indicator. Part 2 (IAA Reports 59) presents the many other finds.

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  Bet Dagan: Intermediate Bronze Age and Mamluk-Period Cemeteries, 2004–2005 Excavations

  Eli Yannai and Yossi Nagar

  This volume describes the IAA excavation of two cemeteries of different periods on the coastal plain near Tel Aviv. The excavation uncovered one of the largest Intermediate Bronze Age shaft-tomb cemeteries with burial assemblages and anthropological remains known to date. The Muslim cemetery is unique in having no tombs or grave goods.

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  Bet Yerah: The Early Bronze Age Mound, Volume II: Urban Structure and Material Culture, 1933–1986 Excavations

  Raphael Greenberg

  This is the second volume in the series describing the results of 11 excavation campaigns at Tel Bet Yeraḥ over some 50 years (1933–1986). The first volume (IAA Reports 30) presented the stratigraphic framework and the Early Bronze Age pottery. This second volume comprises a companion to Volume I, presenting synthetic discussions of the excavations and finds, and the publication of further Early Bronze Age artifact assemblages, including flint, stone and other small finds.

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  Caesarea Maritima, Volume I: Herod’s Circus and related Buildings Part 1: Architecture and stratigraphy

  Yosef Porath

  This is Part 1 of Volume 1 in a series of final reports of the IAA Excavation Project at Caesarea (1992–1998), the renowned ancient city built by King Herod. Volume 1 focuses on Herod’s Circus, the facility Herod designed for chariot races. Volume 1: Part 1 presents the background, architecture and stratigraphy of the complex. Part 2 (IAA Reports 57) describes the find from this complex.

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  Jerusalem: Excavations in the Tyropoeon Valley (Giv‘ati Parking Lot), Volume I

  Doron Ben-Ami

  This is first volume of a series publishing the results of the excavations at the Giv‘ati Parking Lot in the northwestern corner of the City of David. This volume presents the results of the 2007 excavation season in Area M1, which was excavated down to bedrock to establish the stratigraphic sequence, and is designed as a stratigraphic key for the entire site. The pottery, coins, glass, metal and stone finds, military equipment, human and faunal remains and other artifacts, from the Iron Age through the Islamic period, are presented.

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  ‘Akko I The 1991–1998 Excavati ons The Crusader-Period Pott ery Part 2: Plat es

  Edna J. Stern

  This volume, which comprises two parts: text and plates, is the first of the series documenting the results of the large-scale IAA excavations at ‘Akko during the years 1991–1998. It presents the Crusader-period pottery (12th–13th centuries CE), the largest pottery assemblage of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem to be studied from a site in the Levant to date. An important component of this assemblage is the wide variety of imported ceramic wares from regions throughout the western and eastern Mediterranean, some not previously identified in Crusader-period contexts in the Levant. This assemblage is important for the study of trade and the distribution of Crusader pottery in the Mediterranean, and reveals the centrality of ‘Akko (Acre) during the Frankish occupation of the East.

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  ‘Akko I :The 1991–1998 Excavations: The Crusader-Period Pottery, Part 1: Text

  Edna J. Stern

  This volume, which comprises two parts: text and plates, is the first of the series documenting the results of the large-scale IAA excavations at ‘Akko during the years 1991–1998. It presents the Crusader-period pottery (12th–13th centuries CE), the largest pottery assemblage of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem to be studied from a site in the Levant to date. An important component of this assemblage is the wide variety of imported ceramic wares from regions throughout the western and eastern Mediterranean, some not previously identified in Crusader-period contexts in the Levant. This assemblage is important for the study of trade and the distribution of Crusader pottery in the Mediterranean, and reveals the centrality of ‘Akko (Acre) during the Frankish occupation of the East.

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  The Azor Cemetery Moshe Dothan’s Excavations, 1958 and 1960

  David Ben-Shlomo

  This volume publishes the results of excavations undertaken in 1958 and 1960 by the Dept. of Antiquities and Museums of the State of Israel. It describes the graves and the finds, in particular the Iron Age pottery, as well as scarabs, seals, glass finds, coins and other small finds, accompanied by a discussion of burial customs at Azor during Iron Age IB–IIA.

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  Mary’s Well, Nazareth: The Late Hellenistic to the Ottoman Periods

  Yardenna Alexandre

  The ancient spring of Nazareth is associated with Mary, Mother of Jesus, and has been a site of pilgrimage for centuries. Excavations in its vicinity revealed remains from two millennia of Nazareth’s history, mainly from the Crusader period when an elaborate fountain house was erected, and the Mamluk period, when significant alterations were made to it.

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  Bet She’an II: Baysān the Theater Pottery Workshop

  Rachel Bar-Nathan and Walid Atrash

  This is the second volume of publications of the Bet She’an Archaeological Project, the large-scale IAA excavations at the site of Bet She’an – ancient Nysa-Scythopolis. In the Umayyad period, the southern part of the Roman-Byzantine city, now known as Baysān, was converted to industrial use. This volume describes the excavation of the pottery workshop in the Severan theater, one of the largest in Umayyad Baysān, as well as the pottery and glass finds, and discusses traditional pottery workshops and production processes of the period.

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  The Ramat Bet Shemesh Regional Project: Landscapes of Settlement from The Paleolithic to the Ottoman Periods

  Yehuda Dagan

  The Ramat Bet Shemesh Project was a high-resolution regional study of an area in the Judean Shephelah designated for urban developments, which aimed at recording the ancient remains as well as the natural environment that were to be completely destroyed. The first volume, the Gazetteer (IAA Reports 46), described all the sites surveyed during the project, as well as the results of 100 small-scale excavations. This second volume presents the methodology and field techniques of the project, the ecological and environmental studies, the use of GIS technology, and discussions of the settlement patterns and agricultural activity of each period, as revealed by the accumulated data.

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  The Ramat Bet Shemesh Regional Project: The Gazetteer

  Yehuda Dagan

  The Ramat Bet Shemesh Project was initiated by the IAA following plans to transform a large undeveloped area of the Judean Shephelah into a densely-built urban center. The aim of the project was to conduct a high-resolution regional study in the designated area, including archaeological and prehistoric, as well as ecological and environmental surveys, in order to record the ancient remains and the natural environment that were to be completely destroyed. This first volume presents all the sites surveyed during the project, as well as the results of 100 small-scale excavations and some preliminary interpretations by the excavators.

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  Maresha Excavations Final Report III: Epigraphic Finds from the 1989–2000 Seasons

  Amos Kloner,; Esther Eshel; Hava B. Korzakova; and Gerald Finkielsztejn

  This is the third volume in the series of final reports on the extensive IAA excavations in the Lower City of Maresha during 1989–2000. A short report is given of the excavation of the complexes in which the epigraphic material was found. The epigraphic material includes Semitic ostraca, vessel and ostraca graffiti, and Greek-inscribed altars. Also described here are lead weights, their production, standards and historical implications. The processes of urbanization – economy, sociology and town planning – are explored based on the epigraphic finds, and finally, the ethnic, cultural and historical implications are presented.

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  Gamla II: The Architecture The Shmarya Gutmann Excavations, 1976–1989

  Danny Syon and Zvi Yavor

  This is second of a series of volumes publishing the results of the excavations of the late Shmarya Gutmann at Gamla. Gamla is the best preserved, and most extensively excavated Jewish site of the late Second Temple period in northern Israel. This second volume describes the stratigraphy and architecture of the various quarters, the building techniques and decoration, as well as the synagogue and the miqva’ot. The finds are published in later volumes.

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  Nahal Haggit: A Roman and Mamluk Farmstead in the Southern Carmel

  Jon Seligman

  This volume presents the results of three seasons of IAA salvage excavations during 1992–1993 at this farmstead site in the Ramot Menashe region. It was occupied in three phases during the Early and Middle Roman and Mamluk periods. Its first occupants included Jews or Samaritans, as evidenced by miqva’ot. It was abandoned after the First or Second Jewish Revolt, then resettled, possibly by Roman veterans. In the 13th century a small village was established here within the Mamluk-controlled region and abandoned sometime later. The finds include pottery and glass vessels, coins and other small finds.

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  Horbat ‘Uza: The 1991 Excavations Volume II: The Late Periods

  Nimrod Getzov, Dina Avshalom-Gorni, Yael Gorin-Rosen, Edna J. Stern, Danny Syon, and Ayelet Tatcher

  This is the second of two volumes documenting the IAA excavations at this site in the ‘Akko Plain. This volume deals with the late periods, spanning the time from the Roman to the Mamluk periods, and presents the pottery and glass assemblages, the coins and other small finds. The history of settlement at the site, from the earliest to the latest occupations is summarized.

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  Horbat ‘Uza: The 1991 Excavations Volume I: The Early Periods

  Nimrod Getzov, Ronny Lieberman-Wander, Howard Smithline, and Danny Syon

  This is the first of two volumes documenting the IAA excavations at this site in the ‘Akko Plain. This volume presents the early periods, including occupation during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to the Chalcolithic periods, with significant pottery and flint finds, then a substantial EB IA settlement, an Intermediate Bronze Age settlement and an ephemeral presence in the Late Bronze Age, as evidenced by the pottery finds. The site lay in ruins throughout the Iron Age until an extensive resettlement in the Persian period and a small Hellenistic-period presence.