Tel Gerisa (Hebrew) or Tell Jerishe
and Tell Jarisha (Arabic), commonly known as Tel Napoleon or
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's Hill (as his army camped on it during the
siege of Jaffa
The siege of Jaffa was a military engagement between the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and Ottoman forces under Ahmed al-Jazzar. On the 3 of March, 1799, the French laid siege to the city of Jaffa, which was under Ottoman control. It wa ...
), is an
archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
site on the southern bank of the
Yarkon River
The Yarkon River, also Yarqon River or Jarkon River ( he, נחל הירקון, ''Nahal HaYarkon'', ar, نهر العوجا, ''Nahr al-Auja''), is a river in central Israel. The source of the Yarkon ("Greenish" in Hebrew) is at Antipatris, Tel ...
in
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 ...
. The main phases of the city are dated to the
Middle and Late Bronze Ages, with a smaller settlement in
Iron Age I
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
and going into decline in
Iron Age II
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
(
10th century BCE).
[
]
Excavation history
Eliezer Sukenik led the excavations at the site between 1927 and 1951 on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public university, public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein ...
. The Israel Department of Antiquities excavated the site in 1976 ( Yigal Yadin and Shulamit Geva). Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...
's Institute of Archaeology explored the tell between 1981 and 1995 under the direction of Ze'ev Herzog
Ze’ev Herzog ( he, זאב הרצוג; born 1941) is an Israeli archeologist, professor of archaeology at The Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University specializing in social archaeology, ancient archite ...
.
Identification
The tel is about 500 meters south of the site of the former Arab village Jerisha. The original Bronze and Iron Age name of the settlement is unknown.[
It was suggested that "Gerisa has been identified ... with the ]Levitical city
In the Hebrew Bible, the Levitical cities were 48 cities in ancient Israel set aside for the tribe of Levi, who were not allocated their own territorial land when the Israelites entered the Promised Land.
Numbers 35:1-8 relates God's command to ...
of Gath Rimmon"[ from , by following the opinion of Benjamin Mazar. Gath Rimmon is recorded as having been donated to the ]Levites
Levites (or Levi) (, he, ''Lǝvīyyīm'') are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname ''Halevi'', which consists of the Hebrew defi ...
by the tribe of Dan
The Tribe of Dan (, "Judge") was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, according to the Torah. They were allocated a coastal portion of land when the people of Israel entered the Promised Land, later moving northwards.
Biblical narrative
In ...
in and also by the tribe of Manasseh
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Manasseh (; Hebrew: ''Ševet Mənašše,'' Tiberian: ''Šēḇeṭ Mănašše'') was one of the Tribes of Israel. It is one of the ten lost tribes. Together with the Tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh also fo ...
in , but in it is said to have been given from the lands of the tribe of Ephraim
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim ( he, אֶפְרַיִם, ''ʾEp̄rayīm,'' in pausa: אֶפְרָיִם, ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was one of the tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Manasseh together with Ephraim formed the ''House of ...
. However, Anson Rainey
Anson Frank Rainey (January 11, 1930 – February 19, 2011) was professor emeritus of ancient Near Eastern cultures and Semitic linguistics at Tel Aviv University. He is known in particular for contributions to the study of the Amarna tabl ...
was convinced that Gath-rimmon is identical with Gittaim and is to be found at or near Ramla.
References
Further reading
* Geva, Shulamit 982
Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...
Tell Jerishe: The Sukenik Excavations of the Middle Bronze Age Fortifications, Jerusalem: IES, 1982
Qedem15
* Herzog, Zeev
** 983 IEJ 33 (1983), pp. 121–123.
**984
Year 984 ( CMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4-years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II ( ...
IEJ 34 (1984), pp. 55–56.
** 988-1989br>HA"> HA
-ESI7-8 (1988–1989), pp. 60–62.
** HA-ESI_9_(1989–1990),_pp. 51–52.
*_Herzog,_Zeev_and_Tsuk,_T._[1996.html" ;"title="Hadashot_Arkheologiyot.html" ;"title="989–1990 Hadashot Arkheologiyot">HA-ESI 9 (1989–1990), pp. 51–52.
* Herzog, Zeev and Tsuk, T. [1996">Hadashot_Arkheologiyot.html" ;"title="989–1990 Hadashot Arkheologiyot">HA-ESI 9 (1989–1990), pp. 51–52.
* Herzog, Zeev and Tsuk, T. [1996 "Tell Gerisa - 1991/1992", HA-ESI 15 (1996), pp. 60–62.
* Rainey, Anson F. [1990], "Tel Gerisa and the Danite Inheritance", in Zeevy, R. (ed.), Israel — People and Land, Eretz Israel Museum Yearbook, 5-6 (23-24) — 5748-9 (1987-9), Tel Aviv: Eretz Israel Museum, 1990, pp. 59–72.
*Golan, Dor
**(30/10/2016
Tel Gerisa (A): Final Report
HA-ESI 128 (2016)
**(30/10/2016
Tel Gerisa (B): Final Report
HA-ESI 128 (2016)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerisa
Archaeological sites in Israel
Tribe of Dan