Sheikh Sha <b>‘</b> leh, a complex site in the Nablus area (Palestine): preliminary observations

Located in northern Palestine, the site of Sheikh Sha‘leh preserves impressive architectural remains, yet it has long remained peripheral to the major excavation campaigns conducted at Samaria-Sebaste, situated on the neighbouring hill. Although rediscovered at an early date, it has been mentioned only sporadically by travellers and scholars. Nevertheless, the site was occupied for a long period, from the Hellenistic to the Ottoman era. While no longer visible, it is known — on the basis of an inscription reused in later constructions — to have once housed a church dedicated to the biblical prophet Elijah. Through a historiographical analysis of the site and its principal remains, this paper offers a preliminary overview undertaken within the framework of the new Franco-Palestinian Archaeological Mission at Sheikh Sha‘leh.