hazor in the ninth and eighth centuries b.c.e

Hazor in the Ninth and Eighth Centuries B.C.E.Author(s): Débora SandhausSource: Near Eastern Archaeology, Vol. 76, No. 2 (June 2013), pp. 110-117Published by: The American Schools of Oriental ResearchStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5615/neareastarch.76.2.0110 .

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110 NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY 76:2 (2013)

The renewed excavations at Hazor concentrated on two areas in the Upper City: Area A in the center of the tell, and Area M on its northern edge. In both areas, a

sequence of dense Iron Age habitation was uncovered, dating from the earliest to the latest phases of the Iron Age, until the Assyrian conquest of 732 b.c.e. (fig. 1). The rich architectural and material remains from the various strata of the Israelite city, the final analyses of which were recently published in Hazor VI (Ben-Tor, Ben-Ami, and Sandhaus 2012), shed light on various aspects of the life of Hazor’s population during the ninth and eighth centuries b.c.e. (fig. 69). The following is a brief account of the development of the Israelite city throughout this period, based primarily on the finds in Area A, with references to relevant finds in Area M (to be published in Hazor VIII).

Stratum VIIIThe architecture and plan of Hazor reflects a dramatic

change during the transition from the tenth century b.c.e.(Strata X–IX) to the ninth century b.c.e. (Strata VIII–VII; see fig. 70 for Stratum VIII). The former city, which was forti-fied by a casemate wall and a six-chambered gate, more than doubled in size and expanded toward the east beyond the line of earlier fortifications. The fortifications of the new city, attributed to the days of the Omride dynasty, consisted of a solid wall that partly utilized the filled-in casemate wall of Stratum X. Yadin’s excavations uncovered a citadel that was erected on the western edge of the tell and a huge water system constructed to its east. These three components—solid wall, citadel, and water system—provided the city with a defensive system strong enough to withstand a prolonged siege.

The only feature that continued to exist unchanged from the beginning of the Israelite city (Strata X–IX) until its very end (Stratum V) was the “mound of ruins” in the center of the city:

Hazor in the Ninth and Eighth Centuries b.c.e.Débora Sandhaus

Figure 69. Schematic plan of the phases of the Iron Age city (Strata VIII–V).



NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY 76:2 (2013) 111

the remains of the Ceremonial Palace that was destroyed by a conflagration at the end of the Canaanite period. The Israelite city developed around these ruins and always avoided building on top of them, possibly as a result of some sort of building ban on this location.

Large new buildings were constructed on top of the domes-tic houses of Strata X–IX in Area A. Structures of an adminis-trative nature were located in the south (fig. 70:12–13), while storage facilities were located in the north of the area. Of these storage facilities, two belong to the tripartite type (figs. 70:1, 3 and 71–72), and two are large public granaries (fig. 70:5–6), one of which is stone-lined (figs. 70:5 and 73).

The six-chambered gate continued to be in use, although not for defensive purposes, and the casemates in the wall adjoin-ing the gate were incorporated into the storehouses. Two large, open paved areas (fig. 70:7–8) led from the storage complexes to the gate. Three buildings (fig. 70:9–11), all of which are the “four-room house” type (Faust and Bunimovitz 2003), were constructed between the storage facilities complex and the administrative quarter. These buildings, displaying excellent workmanship, apparently served as part of the city’s adminis-trative system.

Substantial remnants of at least two additional storehouses of the tripartite type were uncovered in Area M adjoining the

Figure 71. General view of the excavations. In the center: remains of the public storehouse (tripartite building).

Figure 70. Stratum VIII city plan in Area A, ninth century B.C.E.




northern slope of the tell (fig. 74). These further attest to the nature of Hazor as a central administrative city during the ninth century b.c.e.

During this phase, a residential quarter developed to the west of the mound of ruins (fig. 70:14–15). Houses containing various installations were uncovered in this area. These units are small and poorly constructed compared to the large houses mentioned previously. Two building phases can be distin-

Figure 72 (left). Early phase of the storehouse (tripartite building). Figure 73 (below). The stone-lined granary.

Figure 74 (below). Remains of the storehouse (tripartite building) in Area M (looking west).




guished in most of the struc-tures. Once the plan of Stra-tum VIII became fixed, no sig-nificant changes in the build-ing plans were detected either during the ninth century b.c.e.(Stratum VII) or at the begin-ning of the eighth century b.c.e. (Stratum VI).

Stratum VIIThe city plan established in

Stratum VIII retained its over-all characteristics and layout in the next stratum, Stratum VII (fig. 75).

Three new buildings (fig. 75:16–18) were constructed next to the two storehouses built in the previous stratum (fig. 70:1, 3). Two of the new buildings are the four-room house type (figs. 75:16 and 76). Changes made in the older buildings include the partition of the southern granary (fig.

75:6) and the reorganization of the interior of one of the store-houses into two different units (fig. 75:4). Apart from these alterations, previously built structures remained in use: the administrative buildings (fig. 75:10–13), the large, open paved areas next to the gate (fig. 75:7–8), the storehouses (figs. 75:1–3 and 77), the three large four-room houses (fig. 75:9–11), and the residential quarter (fig. 75:14–15). Minor changes, evident mainly through the raising of floors, the repairing of walls, and slight changes in the plans of these buildings’ interiors, subdivide Stratum VII into two phases.

Figure 76 (below). A four-room house.

Figure 75. Stratum VII city plan in Area A, ninth century B.C.E.




Stratum VIStratum VI (fig. 78), dating to the eighth century

b.c.e., represents the transitional stage from the well-planned city of Stratum VIII to the haphazardly planned city of Stratum V. The transitional nature of this phase is reflected, on one hand, by the preservation of the city’s general layout and the continued use of the main buildings and, on the other hand, by significant build-ing activity, especially in the southeastern part of the city, which anticipates and foreshadows the significant change of the city plan in Stratum V.

By the time of this stratum, the casemate wall was no longer in use. Several small units (dwellings, shops, etc.) were built on top of, as well as inside and outside, the wall (fig. 78:18). Changes were made in the citadel (already noted by Yadin’s expedition), evident mainly in the elimination or removal of the monumental entrance. Several of the administrative buildings that we uncov-ered in Area A continued to be used (fig. 78:11–12); their floors were raised, and new walls were added fol-lowing the layout of existing walls. Several buildings were enlarged by the addition of new wings; in some cases changes were made to the interior plan.

Figure 77. Late phase of the storehouse (tripartite building).orehouse (tripartite building).

Figure 78. Stratum VI city plan in Area A, eighth century B.C.E.




The area in which the storehouses and granaries were pre-viously located was now reorganized. One of the tripartite storehouses (fig. 78:3) and the two elongated rooms (fig. 78:2) attached to the tripartite storage facilities continued to be in use with minor changes. The rest of the storage facilities were demolished, and several domestic buildings (fig. 78:4–5, 15) were built on top of them.

We found an olive press and associated installations in one of these buildings (figs. 78:5 and 79). Although the purpose of these buildings is unknown, their high standard of construc-tion implies that they were part of the administrative network, perhaps the offices of high officials.

Buildings of relatively poor quality (fig. 78:16, 17, 18), simi-lar in their irregular plans to the buildings situated on top of and to the east of the casemate wall (fig. 78:18), were found in the northeastern part of the area. These units may have served as a shopping district, as Yadin already suggested (1972, 179–85).

Remains of buildings (fig. 78:9) in the southern part of the area suggest the beginning of a new domestic quarter similar to the one located at the northwestern part of Area A (fig. 78:13), which was built in Stratum VIII (fig. 70:13–14) and continued to be in use without major changes.

Stratum VIn Stratum V (fig. 80), dating to the eighth century b.c.e.,

the city plan was completely changed. Many of the buildings constructed in Strata VIII–VII, some of which continued to be in use in Stratum VI, were removed and new buildings were erected. The new layout of the city shows rather careless build-ing quality and design.

The city expanded to the east beyond the limits of the case-mate wall. This area now served as a densely populated domes-tic quarter with asymmetrical floor plans of various dimen-sions; numerous installations were found inside and alongside these houses (fig. 80:1). Before undertaking the construction

of these houses, it was necessary to fill and level the area, since the remains of a monumental Middle Bronze Age subterranean storage facility were, at that time, still partially preserved (Ben-Tor, Ziegler, and Avrutis 2009).

Southwest of the city gate, a large building, only traces of which were preserved (fig. 80:2), was erected on top of one of the former storage facilities (fig. 78:2).

A large architectural complex (fig. 80:3), con-sisting of a building with thick walls (fig. 80:3a), a large courtyard (fig. 80:3b), and a small struc-ture (fig. 80:3c) attached to its southern side, was erected above units 5–6, that is, the oil-press house and the unit built south of it (fig. 78:5–6), all dating to the previous stratum (Stratum VI).

The southern administrative building (fig. 80:4) continued to exist with a poorly constructed addition on its west side. A

Figure 79. Olive-oil press in one of the residential units.

Figure 80. Stratum V city plan in Area A, eighth century B.C.E.




Figure 81. Granaries full of charred wheat in Area M.

Figure 82. Fragment of bone plaque. Figure 84. Decorated bone handle.Figure 83. Amulet depicting Isis nursing the god Horus.




wall (fig. 80:5) surrounding the mound of ruins (the rem-nants of the Late Bronze Age Ceremonial Palace) was built to delineate the ruins. The fact that the ruins of this building still occupied its original position in the heart of the city, almost five hundred years after the destruction of the Canaanite city, is noteworthy.

Changes were also evident in Area M, where the storehouses were replaced by small buildings of the four-room house type and by two round granaries that were filled with charred wheat kernels (fig. 81).

Two to three phases of construction and alterations, such as the raising of floors, the addition of walls, and other minor changes, were observed in Stratum V. In the last phase, on the eve of the Assyrian conquest, the citadel on the western edge of the city that had been excavated by Yadin’s expedition was strengthened by an offset-inset wall. At this time, in the first half of the eighth century b.c.e., Hazor was still a dynamic city with impressive buildings. Its remains include a large and var-ied ceramic assemblage as well as valuable small objects (figs. 82–84).

Hazor was destroyed in 732 b.c.e. during the Assyrian mili-tary campaign led by Tiglath-pileser III. Signs of destruction and devastation were encountered throughout most of the city. In some of the buildings, complete vessels were found in situ on the floors (fig. 85); in others, the floors were devoid of finds, perhaps indicating that the inhabitants had abandoned the city before its destruction. After a short gap, Hazor was partly resettled: poorly constructed buildings characterized by flimsy walls, pits, and the remains of a paved courtyard (in Area M) are evidence of a postdestruction phase that most likely represents an attempt by the previous settlers to return and reoccupy the city.

Israelite Hazor in the Ninth and Eighth Centuries B.C.E.The first fortified Israelite city at Hazor was built in the tenth

century b.c.e. At that time the city was confined to the western part of Hazor (the acropolis) and was encircled by a fortifica-tion system made up of a casemate wall and a six-chambered gate (see Ben-Tor in this issue).

In the ninth century b.c.e. (in the days of the Omride dynasty), Hazor expanded eastward beyond the limits of the tenth-century city and extended over the entire area of the acropolis. This was the most impressive phase of Israelite Hazor, and the city reached its floruit at this time. The city plan can now be divided into three sections according to function: an area devoted to large-scale storage of agricultural produce, buildings of an administrative nature, and residential build-ings.

With its impressive defense system, which included the city gate and walls, the citadel, and the water reservoir, the city provided security to its inhabitants. The high quality of con-

struction of some of these buildings reflects the existence of a wealthy ruling class.

Hazor continued to grow and develop through the first half of the eighth century b.c.e. However, the city underwent a fundamental change in the middle of the eighth century b.c.e.(Stratum V), when most of the earlier buildings were dis-mantled and new buildings were erected on top of them. The remarkably well-organized plan with its defined quarters and monumental administrative construction characteristic of the former city was replaced by a network of narrow alleys, poorly built administrative buildings, and dwellings with irregular plans interlaced into a rather chaotic entity. This city plan indicates the decline of a once-magnificent city. In the year 732 b.c.e., Hazor was destroyed and abandoned.

Figure 85. Destruction level with vessels lying on the floor.



hazor in the ninth and eighth centuries b.c.e

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