Tel Hazor- Israel Pilgrimage

Tel Hazor is located in the Hula Valley

at the foot of the Galilee mountains.  

The fertile land, springs and location

 to the roads of transportation allowed this city

 to develop into the greatest city

 in the land of Israel. 

It was one of the most important cities

 of the Canaanite period.

Hazor consists of an upper city and a lower city.

The history is divided into the Canaanite Hazor

 in the Bronze Age and the Israelite Hazor in the Iron Age.

Early Egyptian documents in 

18th century BCE state that it was a great city

 with a population of about 15,000.

The Solomonic Gate

1 Kings 9:15 refers to King Solomon

 and the labor force to build Megiddo, Hazor and Gezer.

Biblical texts states that Hazor 

was the "head of all the Kingdoms" - Joshua 11:10

 and the king of Hazor as the "king of Canaan."- Judges 4:2

The Bible states that King Jabin of Hazor 

went out at the head of the alliance of 

Canaanite cites to fight again the settling Israelite tribes,

 led by Joshua. The Israelite victory led

 to the destruction and the burning of the city- Joshua 11:1-2.

the remains of a bath tub

The Water System which flourished 

during the reign of Ahab 

and constructed to bring water 

to the city in time of siege.

 The Citadel and Cultic Installation at the higher end 
of the city were built at the time of King Ahab.
The capitals found here are now 
in the Israel museum in Jerusalem.
The Cultic installation was built
 during the time of the Judges.

 What remains today is built atop the remains 
of an earlier citadel built in the reign of King Solomon. 
The citadel was destroyed together with the entire city 
by Tiglath-pilelser III, king of Assyria in 732 BCE.

 II Kings 15:29
The city was burned to the ground.

 Another part of the site has a private dwelling
 and public structure from the Israelite period.

 One of the notable things from this site 
is the view of snow-covered 
Mount Hermon on the horizon.

 

We were the only ones at the site
 when we were there
and a volunteer was our very own private guide.

Hazor is north of the Sea of Galilee
 just west of the River Jordan.
Tel Hazor is the largest archaeological site
 in northern Israel, and covers almost 200 acres.
This National Park has restrooms
 and it was a wonderful stop on our tour.

This Tel is the largest one in Israel.
a bit more here:
holylandsite.com/hazor Reflection:
When the Israelites obeyed God, 
He blessed then and they prospered.
When they fell away, 
others were allowed to come in and destroy them.
The same principle standard holds in our own time.
We need to pay attention, and ask for forgiveness.
And return....