Hatzor

Positioned strategically in the Galilee region, Hatzor was a major city in ancient Israel, estimated to have had a population of 10,000 to 15,000, making it the largest city in the area. Its location allowed control over important trade routes to Lebanon’s coast, Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia, further boosting its significance.

Hatzor covered approximately 700 dunams until its destruction in the 13th century BCE, and later rulers, including King Ahab, also enhanced its fortifications. Archaeologists have uncovered its ruins near Kibbutz Ayelet HaShahar, east of the road connecting Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shemona. As an influential city in ancient Middle Eastern records, Hatzor’s archaeological findings align with biblical accounts, including its burning in Joshua’s time and the construction of its fortified gates, which resemble those of Megiddo and Gezer—other fortifications attributed to Solomon in the 10th century BCE.

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