Samuel was one of the most important prophets in the Bible. Some scholars identify the Biblical city as Ramathaim-Zophim, the home city and place of burial of prophet Samuel. Roads and cities during the Israelite period thru the Roman period, 20th BC- 1st century AD (based on Bible Mapper 3.0) The ancient Beth-Horon road, now highway #443, was one of the main ascending roads to Jerusalem, and regarded as the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim. The site is located 7km north of Beth-Horon Lower (modern Arab village of Beit Ur at Tahta), and Beth-Horon Upper (modern Beit Ur el Foka). It is far from major cross roads, although the site is situated on a high hill above a local throughway which is also used today (Hwy #463). A large (400 cubic meter) water reservoir was also found on the eastern hill.Ī Biblical map is shown here, with the site marked as a red square. They were constructed in 3 cluster areas, implying that this industry was a public industrial operation rather than private. On the site the survey identified 50 wine cellars dated to the first temple period. The majority of the pottery were dated to the Iron Age II. The site can be reached from a dirt road that starts close to the community of Na’ale.Īccording the ceramics survey of south Samaria, the archaeologists dated the earliest settlement on the eastern and western hills to the Iron Age I – the times of the Judges. A spring (Ein ‘Ayub – Job’s spring) is located in the valley, near the modern junction of highway #463 (‘postal junction’). The summit of the ruined Biblical city, appearing on modern map as Khirbet esh-Shuna, is located at altitude of 534m, more than 150m above the valley of Nahal Natuf that flows on the south and eastern foothills. Some scholars suggest this was Ramathaim Zophim – the home city and place of burial of prophet Samuel.ġ Samuel 1:1: “Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of mount Ephraim…”.Īn aerial map of the area around the site shows the major points of interest. The ruins are scattered on the top and foothills of twin hills south of Deir Ammar. Ruins of a Biblical city in the South Western hills of Samaria. Home > Sites > Samaria > South > Khirbet esh-Shuna (Ramathaim Zophim?) This site may have been Ramathaim Zophim – the home city and place of burial of prophet Samuel.
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