A Hellenistic-era fortress at Ashdod-Yam

ARCHAEOLOGY: TAU researchers discover second-century BCE fortress at Ashdod-Yam. Excavations at Ashdod-Yam reveal a second-century BCE fortress destroyed in conflict, the Institute of Archeology at Tel Aviv University reported (Raquel G. Frohlich, Jerusalem).

A second-century BCE military stronghold was established at Ashdod-Yam, according to excavations and interim results reported by the Institute of Archeology at Tel Aviv University (TAU).

The research, published November 20, focused on the site’s Hellenistic period and used numismatic and ceramic evidence. Ashdod-Yam contains remains of occupations from the Late Bronze Age to the early Islamic period, according to the TAU Institute of Archeology.

[...]

The underlying article is available with open access in the journal Tel Aviv:

Hellenistic Ashdod-Yam in Light of Recent Archaeological Investigations
Alexander Fantalkin, Matasha Mazis, Yaniv Schauer, Donald T. Ariel, Shahar Krispin, Orit Tsuf, Tzilla Eshel & Eli Itkin

Pages 238-278 | Published online: 20 Nov 2024
Cite this article https://doi.org/10.1080/03344355.2024.2385149

Abstract

Ashdod-Yam is an important archaeological site with a history spanning the Late Bronze Age to the early Islamic period. The Hellenistic period marked an important phase for the site, when its acropolis served as a military base. This report presents the interim results of recent excavations that focused on the Hellenistic period at Ashdod-Yam. Based on the numismatic and ceramic evidence, the stronghold was established in the first half of the 2nd century BCE and should be considered within the framework of Seleucid military activity. Although it is difficult to determine under which Seleucid king this military stronghold was initially commissioned, it was most probably reinforced in the days of Antiochus VII Sidetes by his general Cendebaeus and then destroyed by John Hyrcanus I towards the end of his reign. The precision in dating the Hellenistic occupation at Ashdod-Yam offers a rare window into the life of a 2nd-century BCE coastal military settlement, enriching our knowledge of the site and contributing new insights into the region’s historical and cultural developments.

For a Byzantine-era discovery at Ashdod-Yam some years ago, see here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.