Tel Hadid

I have just completed a week of an archaeological probe at Tel Hadid, Israel.

A map of Tel Hadid

Tel Hadid is located on a hill on the north side of the entrance to the Ayalon Valley. Tel Gezer is located on the south side of this important transportation zone which leads up the hill to Jerusalem.

Sheep grazing on olive trees at Tel Hadid

The ancient walled city is listed in the Mishnah (Arachin 9:6) as existing in the time of Joshua. Archaeological researchers are interested in the site because several land transfer documents have been found which date back to the times of King Hezekiah, and to the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests of the land of Israel.

Test probes at Tel Hadid

It is thought that after the deportation of the ten northern tribes of Israel that the Assyrians placed a diverse group of people from many nationalities in the land called Samaria. They did this to prevent uprisings in occupied territories. The cultural identity of the people took years to develop into anything more than displaced peoples.

A day's finds from our hole at Tel Hadid

The Maccabees had a presence in this city, which they called Adiada, which is close to Modi’in. Coins and other remains have been found from this period, one of which was a coin found in the probe I was assigned to dig. I asked if the Maccabean coin was from Judah or Simon, and was told I would have to wait until the final reprot.

A Hasmonean Coin from our hole at Tel Hadid

Other coins and metal objects, some extremely rare were also found during our dig.

Highway 6 runs under Tel Hadid

The work at Tel Hadid began as a salvage operation about twenty years ago, as Israel Highway 6 was being planned. Tel Aviv University is mapping and performing test probes in this area, and will begin an actual dig next year. You can go to their website for more information, or if you want to dig at this place. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary will be working with Tel Aviv University as they dig.