powered by FreeFind	Tel Dan 160 pictures     5 minutes HQ video In 1966 a team led by Prof. Avraham Biran began to excavate Tel Dan. The impressive findings included sections of imposing walls and gates, as well as a ritual site which dates to the time of dramatic events recounted in the Bible. The Site The earliest findings from a settlement on the Tel belong to the Ceramical Neolith Age (beginning of the fifth millennium B.C.). A city was first built here during the early Canaanite period. It was populated between 2700 and 2400 B.C. In the eighteenth century B.C., during the middle Canaanite period, the tremendous earth dyke surrounded the city, protecting it for centuries. This is the city of Laish, which members of the tribe of Dan captured for their homeland. The tribe of Dan found it difficult to deal with the pressures brought by the Philistines, and therefore decided to go north: "They proceeded to Laish, a people tranquil and unsuspecting, and they put them to the sword and burned down the town. There was none to come to the rescue, for it was distant from Sidon… They rebuilt the town and settled there, and they named the town Dan, after their ancestor Dan who was Israel's son. Originally, however, the name of the town was Laish" (Judges 18:27-29). One of the fascinating finds from Tel Dan is a piece of a fossilized tablet from the second half of the ninth century B.C. Carved onto it is an inscription of Hazael. King of Damascus, boasting of his victory over the King of Israel and the King of the House of David. This is the first time that the name "House of David" was discovered outside of the Bible. Unfortunately, archaeologists have yet to find the inscription in its entirety. Dan was settled continuously until the Roman period, when the Tel was abandoned and the center of settlement moved to Banias. The Wall The massive wall, built during the Israelite period (First Temple). Most of the wall was constructed from unhewn basalt stones, with hewn travertine blocks placed on top. When we go around the wall from the right (still outside the city limits), we see an open space tiled with original flooring. Here archaeologists discovered remnants of the cult, which correspond to a verse from Kings: "… the shrines of the gates, which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city perfect - which were on a person's left as he entered the city gate (II Kings 23:8). Visitors interested in seeing the impressive gate should continue east on the path for another hundred meters. The roof over the gate protects it from harsh weather conditions. An environment-friendly restroom is available for your convenience. The approximately 50-acre mid-Canaanite-period city (eighteenth century B.C.) is surrounded by an immense dyke, which reached a height of 10 to 15 meters. The base, built from layers of earth, stone, pebbles, and other materials, is 60 to 70 meters thick. The gate is in the southeastern corner. It is difficult to understand from where the few thousand people who inhabited the city drew the resources to create this giant structure. The entrance gate The Israelite gate "Settlements Pits" Here archaeologists found large collection tools as well as the remains of a sparse settlement, generally thought to have been inhabited by the Israelites during the settlement period (twelfth century B.C.), a time before the construction of real buildings. The Sacred Precinct The tiled path continues to the ritual site from the monarchy period. Although the Bible speaks of a temple in Dan as early as the settlement period, the earliest ritual artifacts discovered date to the period of Jeroboam. Jeroboam ked the people's revolt against the heavy taxes levied by Rehvaam, son of Solomon. In 930 B.C. the kingdom was divided and Jeroboam established ritual centers in Beit El and Dan. He erected a golden calf in Dan and built a building to house the sacrificial platforms. During the entire time in which this ritual site was in use, the same stones were used. The people simply added walls, stories, chambers and courtyards, of opened up existing partitions. The altar stood in front of the large platform, surrounded by finely chiseled stones. A metal frame now indicates where the original pieces are missing. Near this area, archaeologists discovered a round reservoir from the Hellenistic period as well as animal bones. On the western side of the site, the team uncovered small altar rooms and priestly chambers, with special implements for offering incense. A Hellenistic-period wall surrounds the ritual site, with inscription in Aramaic and Greek "to the god who is in Dan". This site was used for ritual purposes until the Roman period. On a raised square on the eastern side of the ritual site, are four "pillars" with holograms. When visitors peer into the window of the pillars, they find holograms which illustrate the rite of making an offering. "Command-post outlook" This spot also affords a lovely view of the ritual site. From the holograms, the trail continues to the "command-post outlook", which can be reached through the original defense canals. The Israel Defense Forces used this post until the 1967 Six Day War. Below is the Patrol Road. This area has a beautiful view of the slopes of Mt. Hermon, with the Syrian earthworks for the diversion of the Hazbani River, the abandoned Syrian command post Nuheila, and the village of Al Hyam in southern Lebanon. The Dans' river Back to Israel Index