Beersheba; Be'er Sheva Complete

Description

Major fieldwork at the Beersheba site was carried out between 1969 and 1975 under the Beersheba Valley Regional Research Project. Excavation strategy was shaped by the identification of fortifications dating to the Roman period. The Roman fortress became the principal focus of study and appears to have seen reuse in the Arab period. Investigations also revealed remains of a substantial Herodian palace together with nearby bath installations. Topographically, the site occupies an elevated position overlooking the Beersheba and Hebron valleys and lies to the east of the modern city of Be’er-Sheva. Evidence of human occupation in the vicinity begins in the Chalcolithic period, while the settlement achieved its most pronounced expansion during the Roman–Byzantine era. Further reading: Herzog, Z. 1993. “Beersheba.” In The New Encyclopedia of Archeological Excavations in the Holy Land, 167–173.