BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

2,800-Year-Old Farmhouse Discovered in Israel

Bible and archaeology news

A farmhouse dating to the eighth century B.C.E. has been excavated in Rosh Ha-‘Ayin in Israel. Photo: Skyview Company, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The well-preserved remains of a farmhouse dating to the eighth century B.C.E. have been uncovered during archaeological work in Rosh Ha-‘Ayin in Israel. The excavation was led by Amit Shadman on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Built during the time of the Assyrian conquest, the farmhouse measures about 100 by 131 feet and comprises 23 rooms. Wine presses discovered around the farmhouse suggest that the residents were primarily engaged in the wine industry. The residents also grew cereal, as indicated by the presence of a large grain silo.

The excavation revealed that the farmhouse continued to be used during the Persian period (sixth century B.C.E.) as well as the Hellenistic period (beginning around the last quarter of the fourth century B.C.E.), when the Persian empire fell to Alexander the Great. Under one of the floors of the farmhouse, a rare silver coin bearing a depiction of Zeus and inscribed with the legend ΑΛΕΞΑNΔΡΟΥ (ALEXANDROU—“[coin] of Alexander”) on one side and the head of Herakles on the other was discovered.

A coin bearing the head of the Greek hero Herakles was discovered under the floor of the farmhouse. Alexander the Great’s name appears on the other side of the coin. Photo: Robert Kool, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Read the IAA press release on the excavation of the farmhouse.

Learn more about the coinage of Alexander the Great in “The Dating of the Coinage of Alexander the Great” by Zoë Sophia Kontes.

Our free eBook Ten Top Biblical Archaeology Discoveries brings together the exciting worlds of archaeology and the Bible! Learn the fascinating insights gained from artifacts and ruins, like the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, where the Gospel of John says Jesus miraculously restored the sight of the blind man, and the Tel Dan inscription—the first historical evidence of King David outside the Bible.

Related reading in Bible History Daily:

Alexander in the East
When the known world proved too small, Alexander the Great set his sights east. At its height, Alexander’s empire stretched east to India, north to the Danube River and south to the upper Nile.

Amphipolis Excavation: Discoveries in Alexander the Great-Era Tomb Dazzle the World
Dating to the time of legendary Macedonian king Alexander the Great, the Amphipolis Tomb in Greece has been making headlines around the world.

Spelunkers Find Cache of Jewelry and Coins of Alexander the Great in Israel
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