Lubiya (El-Khirbeh): A Late Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine Village in Lower Galilee

A small archaeological excavation carried out in 2005–2007 on a hilltop in the Lavi Forest in Lower Galilee uncovered a small area of the village of Lubiya that was settled in the Late Hellenistic to early Byzantine periods. The earliest exposed building complex was constructed on the bedrock and comprised parts of two residential units with a shared long wall, an internal courtyard and several rooms. An underground complex beneath the units comprised individual basement storage elements that were subsequently joined to form an underground hiding complex, dated by the associated finds to the time of the First Jewish Revolt against the Romans in 66–67 CE. Architectural elements associated with the latest occupation hint to the presence of a synagogue in the close vicinity.