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The En-Gedi Spring Site and the Judahite Expansion into the Judaean Desert in the Late Iron Age.

Avraham MashiachUri Davidovich
Published in: Tel Aviv : journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University (2023)
This article discusses the results of the excavations conducted in the Iron II site near the En-Gedi Spring in 1961-1962 and 2019. The site, consisting of a prominent stone platform documented as early as the 19th century and other recently discovered structural remains, is interpreted as a Judahite outpost built in a strategic location within the oasis of En-Gedi. On the basis of the ceramic assemblage, it is suggested that this site was founded during the early 7th century BCE and was abandoned before the end of that century-making it the earliest Iron Age occupation in the oasis. Combined with historical considerations and a regional analysis, the En-Gedi Spring site enhances our understanding of the Judahite expansion into the Judaean Desert during the late Iron Age.
Keyphrases
  • iron deficiency
  • high throughput
  • single cell