Mizpe Elot

Ruins of a Bronze/Iron Age site and observation place west of Menahemia.

Home > Sites > Jordan Valley> Mizpe Elot (esh Sheikh Muzeighit)

Contents:
Overview
Aerial Map
History
Photos
* Ascent
* Elah tree
* The site
* Views
* Ceramics
* Nature
Videos
Etymology
Links

Background:

Mizpe Elot (esh Sheikh Muzeighit) is a ruin overlooking the southern area of the Sea of Galilee. It was settled during the Bronze and Iron ages, and served as a fortified station and observation place on the side of roads descending to the Jordan valley.

N. Zuri (1977) identified the Biblical site as Shion (Joshua 19:19), a place allotted to the tribe of Issachar.

Map / Aerial View:

The aerial map below shows the area around the site, indicating the main points of interest. The site is situated on a narrow saddle, west of and below the plateau of the Yavne’el Heights. To the east, it borders a cliff edge with a steep drop in elevation.

History:

  • Bronze/Iron (Biblical) Age

During the Bronze and Iron ages, a fortified post was standing on the edge of the cliff, guarding an important route.

According to N. Zuri (“The Land of Issachar survey”, 1977), the following periods were dated by the pottery fragments collected on and around the site: Middle Bronze II, Iron I, Iron II, Persian and Hellenistic (few). Therefore he identified this Biblical site as Shion, a place allotted to the tribe of Issachar (Joshua 19:17-19):

“And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,…”.

The cities and roads during the ancient periods, up to the Roman period, are indicated on the Biblical Map below. The site is marked as a red circle. The ancient west-east route is not indicated here.

Map of the area – during the Canaanite and Israelite periods (based on Bible Mapper 3.0)

Iron age roads:

D. Dorsey (“The roads and highways of ancient Israel”, p. 106) named 2 roads that passed at this place down to the Jordan river ford of Ubeidiya:

  • T2 (from Mt. Tabor, via Tel Ein Haddah)-  a west-east Biblical route passed through the site. The route, designated as “T2”, connected Mount Tabor, through Tel ein Hadda on the Yavne’el heights, descending through Sheikh Muzeighit and Horvat A-Dir, down to Tel Ubediyah road. The road was used for crossing the Jordan river at the ford near Ubediyah, and also for using the Jordan valley route for north and south directions.
  • T3a – (from Tel Rekhesh, via Sirin) – another west-east Biblical route that passed at the site.

    Caravan descending to the Jordan valley – AI generated by Stable Diffusion

The site was part of a network of fortified settlements or posts that were positioned by the Israelite northern kingdom at strategic locations along major roads:

  • Horvat A-Dir, a similar Iron age fortress, is 1.5km south east of this site and on the side of the road that descends from this site.
  • Horvat Kush, yet another Iron age fortress, is 2.5 km north east of this site. It also guarded an important route descending to the Jordan valley along the Yavne’el valley.
  • Israelite period (House of Omri)

  According to Finkelstein (“Omride Architecture in Moab: Jahaz and Ataroth”), these Iron age fortified settlements were constructed by the Omri House monarchs (Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Yoram, and Athaliah, who reigned during the years 885-835 BC). During these years, the arch enemy Aram-Damascus was probably the trigger to construct defense lines along the eastern frontier.

  Omri was a general, who was made king (882 BC) over the Northern Kingdom during the mutiny of Zimri (1 kings 16 16): “And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.”. After regaining the control of his Kingdom, Omri turned to defend his country against their arch-enemy – Aram-Damascus – and the rising empire of Assyria.

  Ahab, his son, fought against Aram-Damascus in 3 battles, but was killed (850) in the 3rd battle. Ahab’s son Yoram continued to confront the Syrians, and was killed in Jezreel (842), thus ending the house of Omri. (1 kings 22:35): “And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot”.

  The assaults continued from the north: the Assyrians forces – a rising force in the region- hit the Northern Kingdom in 841, and Aram-Damascus headed by Hazael invaded in 815-810, as per Biblical accounts (2 Kings 8:12, 12:18-19, 13:3+7; Amos 1:3) and (2 Kings 10 32): “In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;”. In one of these intrusions the city of Rechov, the major city in this region, was violently destroyed. The archaeologists dated this destruction to an approximate date 840-830BC. This was probably the fate of the other Iron Age forts in this area.

  • Ottoman period

  The site was examined in the PEF survey (1866-1877) by Wilson, Conder and Kitchener. A section of their map is seen here, with the site indicated on the map as Sheikh el Muzeighit (marked as a red circle). A road is shown connecting the site with the village of El Hadetheh (Bronze/Iron age Tel Ein Haddah).

Part of Map sheets 6 & 9 of Survey of Western Palestine,
by Conder and Kitchener, 1872-1877.
(Published 1880, reprinted by LifeintheHolyLand.com)

  • British Mandate

A section of the 1940s British map shows the area around the site, which is seen above the cliff. Notice that there is a route (a dashed line) that descends to the south east, passing thru Horvat Melahat (Kh. Muweilihat) and Horvat a-Dir (kh. ed Deir), continuing to Menahamiya. Another route descends north east thru Kh. Anin to Ubeidiya.

British survey map 1942-1948 – https://palopenmaps.org topo maps
License: public domain under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1998
  • Modern Period

   Aapeli Saarisalo’s 1927 work, The Boundary Between Issachar and Naphtali, is an early archaeological and literary study of Israel’s settlement in Canaan. He visited the site and wrote about his findings, concluding it was a ritual place: “Therefore the site may be an ancient place of worship, where earthen vessels have been used in ancient times for cult purposes in the same way as now”.

The site was not yet thoroughly researched. During our visits to the site we attempted to understand its structure and history.

 

Photos:

(a) The Ascent

The location of the site is on a point in the middle of the ascent to the Yavne’el heights. The ascent starts from an altitude of -200m (under sea level) and ends on the cliffs above at an altitude of 350m (above sea level).

This photo of Mizpe Elot was captured by a drone from the south side. Great views of the area are seen from this high place.

Click on the photos to view in higher resolution…


Below – Another view of the site, this time from the north west side.

The road to the north west descends to the the Yavne’el valley and also to the Jordan valley. Aapeli Saarisalo (“The Boundary between Issachar and Naphtali”, 1927, p 50) wrote about this “The path descending northwards to Horvat Semsin forms in some places a channel (40 cm in breadth and depth) in the limestone rock. This seems to testify to an ancient and still continued use of the path”.

A closer view of the northern edge of the site is in the following photo. Some hikers prefer to rest below the site, below the northern foothill, where the trail passes.


(b) Under the Holy Elah tree

The modern Hebrew name of the site is “Mizpe Elot” – meaning the observation place of the Elot trees. Elot is the plural of the Elah tree (Pistacia atlantica). Two large Elah trees stand on the site. Here is the largest one, standing on the eastern side:

A cemetery existed on the hill, as indicated by the British map. According to the Arabic name of the place, there was a tomb or shrine commemorating Sheikh Muzeighit. Therefore, the  Elah trees around the tomb/shrine  were considered holy and this spared them from cutting wood for fire.

According to Aapeli Saarisalo (“The Boundary between Issachar and Naphtali”, 1927, pp 49-50), a tomb was constructed under the tree. He wrote:

“There is a lengthy pile of basalt stones under the holy tree. That is the Holy tomb, which is adorned with small green, red and white flags and rags”.

He added:

  “A high circular stone fence surrounds the tomb. Around it are low huts without window holes, both of mud and small stones. A low stone fence surround all these buildings and further on there are heaps of basaltic stones. All these bear traces of having been lately repaired”.

A 100 years after his visit, the mud huts are not seen anymore and the stones are scattered around.

Mizpe Elot is on the side of the Israel cross country hiking trail. Groups stop at the site to rest under the tree and enjoy the view.

Below is another view of the Elah, captured in another time we visited the place.

A box with gifts and accessories is located under the tree for assisting the hikers.

(c)  The site

An aerial view of the site is seen here, oriented towards the north. Traces of walls and structures can be seen along the edge of the cliff. Some patterns can be seen.

Aapeli Saarisalo (“The Boundary between Issachar and Naphtali”, 1927, p 50) wrote:

“The field west of the tree, i.e. the narrow saddle which connects the projection with the mountain range, is 150m long”. The summit of this saddle is flat in big enough for a settlement, but it does not bear the usual marks of ancient inhabitation, since the soil is black and not like the grey debris”.

 

On the surface are walls built of rough fieldstones.


Orange colored moss is seen to accumulate on the rocks.


A closer view of the structure:


On the north side of Mizpe Elot is an engraved stone, commemorating Chen Kinarty, a soldier who died in 1994 while on an operational mission in Lebanon.   The bottom line reads: “עוֹדֶנּוּ חַי בְּלֵב הָאֵלָה”, a verse of 2 Samuel 14:18 of words by Joab on the death of Absalom. It means: “He still lives in the heart of the Elah”.

(d) Views

From the site are remarkable views of the area. During ancient times this observation place was important to view the incoming threats from the east.

In the following view to the east, the valley of the Yarmuch river is seen in the far background. In modern times it separates Syria and Jordan, and in ancient times it was the main route to the east.

Turning slightly north is the southern part of the Sea of Galilee. Closer to the site is the Yavne’el valley.

Below the site is the historic settlement of Menachamiya (established 1901). Above it, on the hill with a road that curls around it,  is a monument to Levy Eshkol (Israel’s 3rd prime minister, 1895-1969). In 1920 he was one of the 25 founders of Kibbutz Degania Bet, seen here near the Sea of Galilee.


Another view towards the south is a hill with ruins of another ancient site – Horvat Melahat – with remains of the Bronze/Iron and Roman/Byzantine periods. The road to the south east passed thru this site and continued down thru Horvat A-Dir – another Iron and Byzantine period fortified place.


(e) Ceramics

According to N. Zuri (“The Land of Issachar survey”, 1977), the following periods were dated by the pottery fragments collected on and around the site: Middle Bronze II, Iron I, Iron II, Persian and Hellenistic (few).

Although the weeds covered the ground, we were able to find some Biblical pottery fragments. A more thorough search and dating will be performed in the future.



(f) Nature

There are some beautiful examples of nature’s creation seen around the site. One of the remarkable views is a field of yellow daisy flowers that grew along the side of the road.

A yellow broom shrub blooms on the side of the road.


Purple flowers (identification?):

Videos:

Fly around the site with this YouTube video.

 

Etymology – behind the name:

* The name of the site:

  • Mizpe Elot – observation place of the Elot trees. Hebrew: מצפה אלות
  • Elot is the plural of the Elah tree (Pistacia atlantica).
  • esh Sheikh Muzeighit (Mezeighit)- A sheikh’s tomb. The PEF suggests the private name means ‘angry’.
  • Shion – A Biblical place (Joshua 19:19), suggested as this place. It implies “high” (Hebrew: שיאון).

* Other names:

  • Menahemia – The village was established in 1901 (the first Jewish settlement in the Jordan valley).

Links and references:

* References:

  • “The Land of Issachar survey” – site #202, pp. 143-145, N. Zori, Hebrew 1977
  • “The Boundary between Issachar and Naphtali” – Aapeli Saarisalo – 1927 pp. 49-50  – reviews the site

* External links:

  • Chen Kinarty – a fallen soldier, a memorial stone is on the site

* Internal links:

 

BibleWalks.com – walks along the Jordan river

Horvat A-Dir<<<—previous site—<<<All Sites>>>—next Jordan Valley site—>>>

 

 

This page was last updated on March 26, 2025 (add AI illustration)

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