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‘Atiqot 109 (2022) EISSN 2948-040X

Front Matter
Atiqot 109
Keywords: Front Matter
Front Matter

Site 152: A Small Settlement from the Bronze and Iron Ages in Ramot Menashe (with contributions by Miriam Pines, Inbar Ktalav) (Hebrew, pp. 1*–39*; English summary, pp. 229–231)
Ron Beeri
Keywords: Canaanite, Phoenician, oval buildings, fauna, mollusks, Kingdom of Israel, Assyria, agriculture, hinterland
In a trial excavation conducted at Site 152 four occupation strata were discovered, dating to the Intermediate Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age II, Late Bronze Age I and Iron Age I. A water channel, dating to the Hellenistic period or later, was also found. The finds included pottery, flint tools, animal bones and mollusks. This area appears to have been settled in almost all historical periods due to its proximity to water streams and alluvial soils.

The Flint Assemblage from Site 152 in Ramot Menashe (pp. 1–5)
Maya Oron
Keywords: Canaan, flint tools, geology
The flint assemblage from Site 152 included few diagnostic items, which were assigned to the Chalcolithic period, the Intermediate/Early Bronze Age, the Middle Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The raw material is light to dark brown flint of good quality, probably from nearby sources.

A Rural Settlement from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine Periods at el-Khirba, Shoham (Hebrew, pp. 41*–88*; English summary, pp. 232–234)
Ofer Sion
Keywords: Hasmonean revolt, chalkstone vessels, Jewish, First Jewish Revolt, Bar Kokhba Revolt
Three areas (A–C) were excavated at el-Khirba, uncovering building remains of a farmhouse from the Hellenistic period (third–second centuries BCE); a Jewish village from the Hasmonean period (Stratum IIa; second–first century BCE), the Roman (Herodian) period (Stratum IIb; first century BCE–first century CE) and in the period between the two Jewish Revolts (Stratum IIc; late first–second centuries CE); and a village from the Late Roman–Byzantine periods (Strata Ia–c; fourth century CE). A complex winepress was also found, dating to the second half of the fourth century CE, as well as quarries, tombs and cisterns. Activity at the site decreased in the fifth century CE, possibly following the Samaritan rebellions in the area.

The Pottery from the Hellenistic–Byzantine-Period Rural Settlement at el-Khirba, Shoham (pp. 7–27)
Yehudah Rapuano
Keywords: Hasmonean period, First Jewish Revolt, Second Jewish Revolt
Most of the pottery recovered from the excavations at el-Khirba, Shoham, was of local manufacture. The examples range in date from the early Hellenistic to the Late Roman/early Byzantine periods, exhibiting pottery forms typical of the Judean region. Based on the ceramic finds, the settlement’s peak was between the second half of the first century BCE to 70 CE. The occupation of the site came to an end probably in the fifth century or even as late as the sixth century CE.
A Knidian Stamped Amphora Handle from the Rural Settlement at el-Khirba, Shoham (pp. 29–32)
Donald T. Ariel
Keywords: trade, epigraphy, Greek
A Knidian stamped amphora handle was uncovered at el-Khirba, Shoham, in as stratum dating between the third and first centuries BCE. It is a rectangular aniconic stamp of a two-letter monogram. The small size of the stamp suggests that it belongs to a group of the Knidian Class termed ‘early Knidian.’
The Glass Vessels from the Hellenistic–Byzantine-Period Rural Settlement at el-Khirba, Shoham (pp. 33–40)
Shulamit Hadad
Keywords: manufacturing technique
Many fragments of glass vessels were found in the excavations at el-Khirba, Shoham. The most striking find is a core-formed amphoriskos fragment dated to the late seventh–sixth centuries BCE, which was found out of context. The glass assemblage includes a cast ribbed bowl and blown vessels dating from the Early Roman through the Byzantine periods, their majority dating to the third–fourth centuries CE.
The Stone Objects from the Hellenistic–Byzantine-Period Rural Settlement at el-Khirba, Shoham (pp. 41–47)
Shulamit Hadad and Ofer Sion
Keywords: stone vessel industry, Bar Kokhba Revolt, Jewish
The assemblage of stone artifacts from el-Khirba, Shoham, comprises both vessels and working tools dating from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine period. The finds include chalkstone and basalt vessels, whorls, a bead, and hand and donkey millstones.
The Metal Objects from the Hellenistic–Byzantine-Period Rural Settlement at el-Khirba, Shoham (pp. 49–52)
Shulamit Hadad
Keywords: Second Temple period, metallurgy, industry
A few iron and copper-alloy objects were retrieved from el-Khirba, Shoham, in contexts dated from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine periods. These include tacks, fibulae, kohl sticks, discs of unknown function, part of a lock or a clasp, a square weight, nails and a complete hoe.
Coins from the Hellenistic–Byzantine-Period Rural Settlement at el-Khirba, Shoham (pp. 53–81)
Donald T. Ariel
Keywords: numismatics
A total of 208 coins were found at el-Khirba, Shoham, all but three (which are silver-plated) are bronze. The numismatic profile of the assemblage conforms to the tripartite chronological division of the site: the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods.

The Synagogue at Ḥorbat Merot: Its Construction Phases and a New Interpretation of the Finds (Hebrew, pp. 89*–138*; English summary, 235–244)
Emmanuel Damati
Keywords: Upper Galilee, religion, Jewish, art, mosaic, numismatics, earthquake, zodiac, treasury
This article focuses on the ancient synagogue uncovered at Ḥorbat Merot and offers a new interpretation of its various phases. Three strata were identified: Stratum I, predating the synagogue, from the Early Roman period; Stratum II, the construction of the synagogue and its use, with three phases dating from the Byzantine to the Early Islamic periods; and Stratum III, when the building served as a dwelling in the Mamluk period. In the Ottoman period, an Algerian village existed on-site. The excavation of the synagogue yielded many finds, including coin deposits dating from the fourth and fifth centuries CE; a treasury of gold and copper coins; architectural elements; chalkstone vessels; and part of a colorful mosaic depicting King David playing a five-string lyre. The main Stratum II Phase 2 synagogue was apparently destroyed in the 749 CE earthquake and subsequently rebuilt. The later Stratum II Phase 3 synagogue included a gallery, courtyards, a Bet Midrash and a study room(?). The Jewish settlement ended in the ninth–tenth centuries CE.

Selected Pottery from the Synagogue at Ḥorbat Merot (pp. 83–115)
Débora Sandhaus
Keywords: Galilee, ceramics, Kefar Ḥananya, Shiḥin, earthquake
The pottery finds retrieved in the synagogue excavations at Ḥorbat Merot included vessels from sealed loci below the Stratum II Phase 2 stone-paved synagogue, providing a terminus post quem for the laying of the Phase 2 floor, not earlier than the fifth century CE; and a complete Umayyad-period buff-ware flask found within a sealed rock-hewn niche below the Stratum II Phase 3 Bet Midrash floor. Roman- to Ottoman-period pottery from disturbed contexts was also retrieved. Based on the pottery finds, the site was occupied in the Early Roman, Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman periods.
The Coins from the Synagogue at Ḥorbat Merot, Upper Galilee (pp. 117–155)
Gabriela Bijovsky
Keywords: numismatics, kupah, Rebellion of the Heraclii, monetary reform, Anastasius I, earthquake
A total of 1886 coins were discovered in the Merot synagogue excavations, 1152 of which were identified, including isolated coins, three foundation deposits and the synagogue’s community treasury (quppa), comprising gold and copper coins. According to the numismatic data, the synagogue flourished in the sixth century, when the community treasury was concealed.

The Yafo (Jaffa) Harbor: The Course of the Seawalls during the Crusader and Ottoman Periods and Remains of the Wharf from the Days of the British Mandate (Hebrew, pp. 139*–176*, English summary, pp. 245–248)

Elie Haddad and Alexander Glick
Keywords: Mediterranean coast, maritime, Kaplan excavations, port, fortification, Europe
Salvage excavations in the Yafo harbor area uncovered five strata (V–I), dating from the Byzantine period to the modern era. A short section of the Byzantine-period seawall and sections of the Crusader seawall were exposed, as well as four phases of the Ottoman-period harbor, including wharfs, a customs house and a seawall. At the end of the Ottoman and the beginning of the Mandate periods, a maritime citadel and a system of wide and narrow stairs were constructed. The finds included pottery, glass vessels, metal objects and seashells. The course of the seawalls in the Yafo harbor moved westward over the years, reducing the area of the anchorage.

A Late Ottoman Ceramic Assemblage from the Harbor Area, Yafo (Jaffa) (pp. 157–222)
Anna de Vincenz
Keywords: Mediterranean coast, trade, ceramics
The pottery retrieved from the excavations in the Yafo harbor dated mostly to the Late Ottoman period, from the eighteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century. The Ottoman-period ceramics consist of hard-paste ware, porcelain and stoneware vessels, such as plates, bowls, coffee cups and bottles, mainly imported from Europe, as well as earthenware vessels imported from Turkey and Greece, and glazed cooking pots from southern France. Black Gaza Ware and other coarse ware vessels were locally produced. Ottoman clay smoking pipes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were found abundantly in the excavation, while only a few narghile heads were recovered. The assemblage also includes a large quantity of roof tiles produced in the factories in and around Marseille.
A Glass Bottle from the Days of the British Mandate from the Harbor Area, Yafo (Jaffa) (pp. 223–224)
Brigitte Ouahnouna
Keywords: Mediterranean coast, epigraphy, inscription, industry
The glass fragments retrieved from the excavations in the Yafo harbor date to the British Mandate period. They include mass-produced brown and green glass bottles, colorless glass windowpane fragments, two incomplete colorless glass salt-and-pepper sets, and two fragments of colored glass bracelet. One mold-made bottle bears a manufacturer’s mark in Hebrew, indicating a local production.
Ottoman-Period Molluscs from the Harbor Area, Yafo (Jaffa) (pp. 225–228)
Inbar Ktalav
Keywords: Mediterranean coast, mollusks, trade, production
This report discusses 558 malacological remains retrieved from the Yafo harbor excavations. The assemblage includes Mediterranean shells and Indo-Pacific bivalves and a single land snail, mostly dated to the Ottoman period. The Pinctada margaritifera remains were probably production waste of the European button industry, which reached Yafo en route to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where it was used as raw material for inlaying religious souvenirs.

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