What Are the Stones Whispering?

The excavations at Ramat Raḥel, just south of Jerusalem, revealed a complex of structures that existed for hundreds of years in which the Kingdom of Judah was a vassal of diverse empires. Over some 500 years, jars bearing seals were stored at the site. The findings throw new light on the late First Temple period and on most of that of the Second Temple. During these centuries Ramat Raḥel was the administrative contact point between Judah and the ruling empires. This is what enabled independent Judean control of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the ability to maintain Jewish identity within Jerusalem almost without outside intervention and supervision. All this came to an end during the Hasmonean revolt.

“[Archaeology] books appeal to a broader audience, who can enjoy both the more summarized results and the illustrations and photos, which are of high quality. At the same time, the information can also be used by scholars, who can often find this information in these semipopular volumes easily. The current volume hits all of these checkboxes.”—Joe Uziel, Review of Biblical Literature

Preface

Introduction

Ramat Raḥel—Excavation Staff 2005–2010

Section One: Introductory Chapters

Chapter One: Strategic Location, Natural Surroundings and Processes in Site Formation

Chapter Two: The Question of the Site's Ancient Name

Chapter Three: History of Research

Section Two: Government and Administrative Center—Late Iron Age to the Early Hellenistic Period

Chapter Four: Historical Introduction to the First Building Phase—Judah under Assyrian Rule

Chapter Five: First Building Phase (Late 8th / Early 7th Century BCE)

Chapter Six: Historical Introduction to the Second Building Phase—Judah under Egyptian and Babylonian Rule

Chapter Seven: Second Building Phase (Late 7th Century BCE)

Chapter Eight: Historical Introduction to the Third Building Phase—Judah under Persian Rule

Chapter Nine: Third Building Phase (Late 6th or 5th Century BCE)

Chapter Ten: Destruction and Oblivescence of the Administrative Center in Ramat Raḥel

Section Three: From Government Center to Jewish Village—Ramat Raḥel between the Hasmonean Period and the First Jewish–Roman War

Chapter Eleven: Fourth Building Phase—The Hasmonean and Early Roman Periods

Section Four: The Rural Settlement—Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad Periods to the Days of Kibbutz Ramat Raḥel

Chapter Twelve: Fifth Building Phase—Late Roman and Byzantine Period Settlements

Chapter Thirteen: Abbasid to Ottoman Periods (660–1517 CE) (Itamar Taxel)

Chapter Fourteen: Coins and Hoards (Yoav Farhi)

Chapter Fifteen: Subterranean Space Survey in the Southern Ramat Raḥel Hilltop (Uri Davidovich and Roi Porat)

Chapter Sixteen: "Landscape Archaeology" in the Western Slopes or Ramat Raḥel (Uri Davidovich)

Chapter Seventeen: Modern Period—the Story of Kibbutz Ramat Raḥel (Efrat Bocher)

Conclusion: The Ramat Raḥel Excavations, and a Few Thoughts about the Significance of Archaeology for Understanding the History of Judah

Endnotes

Bibliography

List of Figures