Khirbet Beit Lei
בית ליי | |
 Mosaic floor of Byzantine church | |
  Shown within Israel | |
| Alternative name | בית לויה |
|---|---|
| Location |  Israel |
| Coordinates | 31°33′49″N 34°55′42″E / 31.56361°N 34.92833°E |
| Palestine grid | 14315–40/107975–8100 |
| Area | c.50 Dunams |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age II - Mameluke period |
Khirbet Beit Lei or Beth Loya is an archaeological tell in the Judean lowlands of Israel. It is located about 5.5 km southeast of Tel Lachish[1] and ten miles west-northwest of Hebron,[2] on a hill 400 m above sea level.[3]
An Iron Age II burial cave was discovered to contain an inscription with one of the oldest known appearances in Hebrew of the name "Jerusalem".
Archaeology
Surveys
Khirbet Beit Lei was first
Between 1972 and 1973, the site was surveyed by Yehuda Dagan.
Two Iron Age II burial caves
During the construction of a road in 1961, an ancient burial complex was discovered in the eastern part of the site.
Ancient Hebrew inscriptions, known as the Khirbet Beit Lei graffiti, were found in the caves.
1979-1983 caves investigation
From 1979 to 1983, Yotam Tepper and Y. Shahar [clarification needed] the caves at the site.[7]
Byzantine basilica and nearby structures
In 1983 and 1986 Joseph Patrich and
2005 excavations
The excavations at the site were renewed in 2005 under the direction of the Oren Gutfeld, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, with funding from a Mormon non-profit foundation.[10]
References
- ^ Horbat Bet Loya
- ^ Jesus is Here
- Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement. 33. London: PEF: 226–230. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- ISBN 978-965-406-195-7.
- ^ a b Patrich, Joseph; Tsafrir, Yoram (1992). E. Stern (ed.). האנצקלופדיה החדשה לחפירות ארכיאולוגיות בארץ ישראל [The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land] (in Hebrew). Vol. I. pp. 181–186.
- ^ עמוס כלונר; יגאל טפר (1987). מערכות־המסתור בשפלת יהודה [Hiding Refuges in the Judean Shephelah]. Israel Exploration Society. pp. 131–136.
- ISBN 978-965-221-016-6. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- ISBN 978-1-4575-0070-1. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ Beit Lehi Foundation, Beit Lehi (Horbat Beit Loya)—The 2008 Excavation Seasons Archived 2011-12-02 at the Wayback Machine. This foundation, which sponsored the excavation, believed there was a link between the site and the Book of Mormon character Lehi. The religious driven hypothesis of this foundation is disputed by both Mormon and non-Mormon archaeologists. See Chadwick, Jeffrey R. (2009). "Khirbet Beit Lei and the Book of Mormon: An Archaeologist's Evaluation". The Religious Educator. 10 (3): 17–48.. The archaeological reports of the foundation's web-site, however, are valuable academic reports written by the members of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem expedition. See also Hershel Shanks, Biblical Archaeology Review, November/December 1988, p. 19 (quoting Frank Moore Cross, who said the link was "based on a linguistic blunder").
Further reading
- Conder, C.R.; Kitchener, H.H. (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. Vol. 3. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. (p. 274)
- Gutfeld, Oren (2009-03-13). "Horbat Bet Loya" (121). Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Palmer, E.H. (1881). The Survey of Western Palestine: Arabic and English Name Lists Collected During the Survey by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener, R. E. Transliterated and Explained by E.H. Palmer. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. (p. 365)
- Suder, Robert W.: Hebrew inscriptions: a classified bibliography
External links
- Survey of Western Palestine, Map 20: IAA, Wikimedia commons (named Beit Leyi; N of Al-Dawayima)
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