Overview
Hazor is located some 14 kilometers north of the Seas of Galilee and 8 kilometers southwest of Lake Hula in the eastern Upper Galilee. Known for its unique fortifications and water system, its association with the great battles of Joshua, and its references in the period of Solomon and later Israelite kings, Hazor remains a focus of scholarly interest and extensive archeological excavations. J. Garstang first conducted trial explorations in the lower city in 1928. The James A. de Rothschild Expedition followed this original work during 1955 to 1958 under the direction of Y. Yadin. Along with A. Ben-Tor and Y. Shiloh, Y. Yadin resumed excavations in the summer of 1968. In the 1990s, Ben-Tor resumed the excavations in memory of Y. Yadin.
Hazor reached its peak in the fourteenth century BCE, the el-Amarna period, at which time it was the largest city in area in the whole of Canaan. The site is composed of two distinct areas: the mound proper covering 30 acres and rising about 40 meters above the plain, and a large rectangular lower city (nearly 200 acres) to the north of the mound proper. Due to the significant distances between the areas, a separate stratigraphy has been assigned to each area. The stratigraphy of Hazor currently covers Strata I to XXI in the upper city and 1a to 4 in the lower city (equivalent to the upper city's Strata XIII to XVII).
The lower city of Hazor was a well-built urban center, with the eastern spur first erected during the MB IIA, the late nineteenth century BCE, and the large northern lower city added as a second extension during the transitional MB IIA-IIB period. The lower city flourished throughout the Late Bronze Age, being alternatively destroyed and rebuilt. The final destruction of Canaanite Hazor, both of the upper and lower cities, probably occurred in the second third of the thirteenth century BCE. Only from the time of Solomon onward did Hazor return to some extent to its former splendor, although on a smaller scale than in Canaanite times. Thereafter, occupation was limited to the upper city. The Assyrians destroyed Hazor in 732 BCE, leaving the once-flourishing acropolis virtually uninhibited.
The archaeological strata uncovered at the site, as illustrated in the site plan, date to the following periods:
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Stratum IV–III |
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Stratum V |
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stratum VI |
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Stratum VIII |
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Stratum X |
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Stratum XI |
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Late Bronze Period |
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Middle Bronze Period |