Tel Ira is an archaeological site in the

Negev The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southe ...

(

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

), overlooking the Beer Sheva valley. It was occupied in the Early Bronze III, Iron II, Person, Hellenistic, Early Roman, Byzantine and Early Arab periods. It was first occupied in the 27th century BC. Its ancient/biblical name is unknown.

Location

Tel Ira lies between Beershaba and

Tel Arad Tel Arad ( he, תל ערד), in Arabic Tell 'Arad (تل عراد), is an archaeological tell, or mound, located west of the Dead Sea, about west of the modern Israeli city of Arad in an area surrounded by mountain ridges which is known as the ...

in the

. It is located on a strategic plateau overlooking the Beer Sheva valley. The site is six-acres large.

History

Early Bronze III (Stratum IX)

The earliest attested layer at Tel Ira dates to the 27th century BC.Beit-Arieh, Itzhaq. “An Early Bronze Age III Settlement at Tel ʿIra in the Northern Negev.” Israel Exploration Journal, vol. 41, no. 1/3, 1991, pp. 1–18

Iron II (Stratum VIII - Iron IIA-B, Stratum VI-VII - Iron IC)

In the late 8th or early 7th century BC, Tel Ira had a city wallBeit-Arieh, I. (ed.). 1999. Tel ‘Ira – A Stronghold in the Biblical Negev. (Monograph Series of the Institute of Archaeology, Tel-Aviv University, No. 15). Tel-Aviv: Tel Aviv University. 1.6-1.8 m thick. It also had a six-chambered gate and two towers, similar to those found at

Gezer Gezer, or Tel Gezer ( he, גֶּזֶר), in ar, تل الجزر – Tell Jezar or Tell el-Jezari is an archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (eithe ...

Megiddo Megiddo may refer to: Places and sites in Israel * Tel Megiddo, site of an ancient city in Israel's Jezreel valley * Megiddo Airport, a domestic airport in Israel * Megiddo church (Israel) * Megiddo, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel * Megiddo Junction, ...

and Hazor. Tel Ira became part of a series of Judahite fortifications against eastern incursions from the Arab desert tribes and Edom. Edomite pottery is found at several sites in the eastern Negev suggesting they gained control over trade routes as Jerusalem fell to the Assyrians in 701 BC.

Persian (Stratum V)

The region is sparsely populated. The main centers are Beer Sheva and Arad. Tel Ira exist as a small settlement.

Byzantine (Stratum II)

In the

Byzantine period The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

, a large monastery was built here and its chapel was dedicated to St. Peter.

Archaeology

The site is about 2.5 hectares in area. Nine archaeological layers have been identified. The site was first surveyed by David Alon in the 1950s. Tel Ira was excavated by Itzhak Beit-Arieh and others from 1979 to 1987.

References

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