Jordan Valley – Sites Gallery

   This page summarizes the sites that are reviewed in the area of Jordan Valley – in the eastern side of central Israel.

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Gilgal Argaman

   An Iron-age ceremonial site which was recently excavated in the Jordan valley near Moshav Argaman. It is likely that this site was erected by the Israelites, leaded by Joshua, and was their first camp after crossing the Jordan.

Joshua 4 19:”And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho”

Adam (Damiya) Bridge

    Located on an ancient trade route, this is the oldest bridge in the Jordan valley. The bridge was constructed several times (1266, 1947,  1950s, 1967). Near the bridge is the Biblical city of Adam.

Joshua 3 16: “That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan”.

Khirbet Makhruk

 Ruins of a Canaanite city and fortresses dated to the Iron Age II period (Israelite Kingdom), on a broad ridge at the crossing of the Jordan valley and Tirza (Farha) valleys.

Jordan-Jericho

    The southern section of the Jordan river near the Dead sea. A traditional site of the Israelite crossing site to the Holy Land, Elijah’s departure, baptize of Jesus by John, and location of many monasteries and chapels.

Fazael (Phasaelis) Brook

     The eastern section of Fazael brook includes a number of springs, a Roman period aqueduct, ruins of an Ottoman flour mill, and a Biblical Tell which is identified as Ataroth.

Joshua 16 5,7: “And the border of the children of Ephraim … went down from … to Ataroth…”

St. Gerassimos (Deir Hijla)

    A monastery on the southern side of the Jordan valley, founded in the 5th C by Abbot Gerassimos.

Joshua 15 6: “And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah”

Qumran

     Ruins of a famous Roman period settlement on the north-western shore of the Dead Sea. This was the home of the Essenes, a break-away sect. Scrolls, hidden in jars, were discovered in the caves around the site.

Qumran - in the north-western side of the Dead Sea

(also in the Judea sites gallery)

Tel Issachar

    At Tel Issachar are ruins of an ancient Canaanite and Israelite city, located on a mound on the north bank of Issachar brook.

Hasmonean/Roman Jericho

  Ruins of Hasmonean and Herodian palaces built in the second temple period, in the southwest area NT of Jericho.

(Josephus Flavius Wars 4, 8: 2): “There are in it many sorts of palm trees… pronounce this place to be divine…”.

Belvoir

    Ruins of an impressive Crusaders fortress located on a high cliff above above the northern Jordan valley.

Tell Ubeidiya (Ovadiah)

    A walled Biblical city on a mound near the Jordan River. Nearby, a major prehistoric site with earliest remains of Early man outside Africa.

Joshua 19:22: “And the coast reacheth to … Bethshemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan…”

 

Tel Nissa (Tell el-Manshiye)

     An artificial mound located in the Beit She’an valley, with remains from the Canaanite and Israelite periods.


Tel Artal (T. esh-Sheikh Daoud)

     An artificial mound located in the central Jordan valley, that guarded a major crossing point of the Jordan river.


Hammath

     An impressive Biblical Tel located near the southern entrance to the Beit Shean valley.


Kfar Ruppin Ford crossing

In the vicinity of Kfar Ruppin are many Biblical sites, located near a major crossing point of the Jordan river.

Horvat Ziwan

An impressive Iron Age II fortress and settlement, built on the summit of a steep ridge overlooking the Jordan valley near Nahal Tabor stream.


Tabor Delta Crossing

Biblical sites near an ancient crossing point of the Jordan river at the delta of Nahal Tabor.

 

Ein HaYadid A ruin of a multi-period settlement, located on a natural basalt terrace at the foot of cliffs, adjacent to a small spring.

 

Dalhamiya

A multi-period site near an ancient crossing point of the Jordan river.

 

Tell Migda’

Ruins of a large multi-period village, located on the eastern slopes of Mount Gilboa.


Archaeological Survey

This overview page provides a list of the sites included in the BibleWalks archaeological survey of the Jordan Valley and its surrounding vicinity.

 

Horvat Menorah, Tirat Zvi

Ruins of a multi-period site north west of Tirat Zvi, with a mosaic floor decorated with a Menorah and Shofar. Nearby are additional sites.

Tel Tsaf and Tel Gamma

   Prehistoric sites near ancient crossings of the Jordan river.


 

Tel Zemed, Tel Saharon and Tel Malluah

  Ancient sites in the Jordan valley, en route from Beit Shean to the Transjordan city of Jabesh Gilead.

Tel Malqet and Tel Ro’eh

Two Bronze/Iron age sites in the Jordan valley, on the route from Rechov to the Jordan river crossings.

Tels Eshtori, Nimrod, Midrash, Zofim

Bronze/Iron age sites in the Jordan valley, on the route from Beit Shean to the Jordan river crossing at Sheikh Hussein. Including Tels Eshtori, Nimrod, Midrash, Zofim.

Tell Sheikh edh Dhiab and Rujm abu Mukeir

Tell Sheikh edh Dhiab – Iron Age mound, on the eastern section of Fazael brook; Rujm Abu Mukheir – Iron Age round fortress that protected the road to Samaria.

Horvat Baat (Khirbet el Bawati)

  A ruined village dated to the Roman/Byzantine and early Arab period. Located near Kibbutz Hamadia, on the side of the imperial Roman road from Tiberias to Beit She’an Scythopolis.

Tel Shalem (Tell Salim, Tell er Radghah)

 An ancient mound, located in the Jordan valley near a bountiful spring.

Aenon near Salim

Search for the location of “Aenon near Salim”, where John the Baptist was baptizing people. (John 3, 23): “Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized”.

Horvat Kush

  Horvat Kush is a multi-period settlement in ruins, strategically positioned with a commanding view of the Yavne’el Valley. It is identified as Biblical Lakum.

 

Horvat A-Dir

 Ruins of an Iron Age fortress and a Byzantine period monastery west of Menahemia.

 


Links:

 


BibleWalks.com – walking along the bank of the Jordan river

 

Sites Navigation:  On all featured sites, you can use the navigation aid at the end of the page for proceeding to the next site. The navigation bar takes you through a tour of the sites. At the bottom of each site you can navigate forward or backward, or return back to a full list of all sites in all regions of Israel.

       <<<All Sites>>>—next Jordan Valley  site—>>> Gilgal Argaman

This page was last updated on Sep 28, 2024 (add A-Dir)

 


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