Tell el-Farʿah

Building upon research conducted by Father Roland de Vaux, former director of the Ecole biblique in Jerusalem, between 1946 and 1960 at Tell el-Farʿah northeast of Nablus (Palestine), a new international and collaborative archaeological project began in 2017. This project is led by the University of A Coruña, the Nova University of Lisbon, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine. Tell el-Farʿah, perhaps the ancient biblical city of Tirzah, is a crucial site for the history of the Northern Kingdom. Currently, three excavation seasons (2017–2019) have revealed new, preliminary data concerning Iron Age IIA. These data, particularly the absolute dating related to a house of period VIIb, is of notable significance. A survey was conducted in the Wadi el-Farʿah to gain a better understanding of Tell el-Farʿah in its regional context. Additionally, a pilot project focusing on restoration and enhancement completed the overall work.