Table of contents in Hebrew and in English

The previously unexcavated site of Horbat Menorim overlooks the Sea of Galilee and enjoys several springs located on its slopes. Three strata were exposed at the site, including well-preserved architectural elements dating to Early Bronze Age I and Iron Age IIA. Pottery dating from the Intermediate Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age IIB was found as well. The EB I and Iron IIA pottery assemblages closely connect the site to the region of the Yavne’el Valley, to sites such as Tel Yin‘am and Tel Adami. It seems that the location of the site on the passage of the caravan route Darb el-Hawarna, connecting the coastal highway with Transjordan, influenced its economy and cultural connections.

At Khirbat ‘Addasa, some 8 km north of the city of Jerusalem, fragmentary architectural remains were uncovered, dating to Middle Bronze Age II. The pottery assemblage yielded vessel types characteristic of the rural habitation in the central mountain region. The site joins contemporary sites to its north and west, all of which were small open settlements.

Within the boundaries of the ancient cemetery at Azor several Iron Age I tombs were discovered. The tombs represent four burial types: pits, burial jars, mudbrick-built tombs and cist graves lined with kurkar slabs. The burial offerings comprise local wares, as well as imported vessels, some dating from Late Bronze Age IIB. Also uncovered at the site were a refuse pit from the Byzantine–Umayyad periods and thirteen tombs, probably from the Ottoman period.

The Small tell of ‘En Zippori is located in a fertile valley, near the cluster of springs known as ‘Ayanot Zippori. Meager structural remains were uncovered at the site, revealing a one-stratum occupation, dated to the seventh–early sixth centuries BCE. The pottery, found in situ on the bedrock floor and covered with ash, exhibits both coastal and inland ceramic traditions, including typical Iron Age II forms and later Persian-period types. The site underwent a violent destruction, probably during the Assyrian campaign led by Tiglath Pileser III, and was subsequently abandoned.

The southern slope of Mount Scopus is characterized by soft white limestone, which served in ancient times for hewing tombs and quarrying stones. Within one of the quarries, installations dating to the Second Temple period were exposed, post-dating the quarrying activity, which should be attributed to the Iron Age. The tombs documented on the slopes of Mount Scopus are of the loculi type, belonging to the northern necropolis of Jerusalem in the late Second Temple period. Based on the plan of the tombs, as well as the ossuaries and pottery finds found within one of them, it appears that they served Jewish families. A partially preserved watchtower, dating to the nineteenth century CE, was exposed. It was destroyed by an earthquake, which also bisected the ancient quarries, probably during the days of the British Mandate.

Rescue operations on the shallow seabed off the Carmel coast retrieved ancient artifacts from two Roman-period shipwrecks. More than 1000 metal objects were retrieved, including nails, lead sheathing, anchors, lead rings, fishing gear, netting tools, figurines, jewelry and various other daily implements used onboard. Scores of silver and bronze coins attributable to two hoards were found, indicating that two ship wreckages occurred at the site: one during the third century CE and the other during the fourth century CE.

Excavation at the site of Shiqmona, east of the Tel Aviv–Haifa highway, revealed finds from the late Byzantine period, including a monastery, a large winepress, a dozen rock-cut tombs and two large buildings. The monastery is a large building, incorporating the chapel excavated by Makhouly in 1940, which was re-discovered. The monastery was dated on the basis of the meager pottery finds to the sixth century CE. North and south of the chapel were found marble and stone fragments, probably originating from the chapel, adorned with motifs known from mosaics of the same period. The finds here point that Shiqmona was probably a city, not a village as previously suggested. The monastery was located outside the city proper, where other monasteries were also discovered, coexisting side by side with the city.