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Tel Balata (Shechem)
A Holy Site in
The ancient Canaanite City of Shechem is only 1.5 km east of the center of the modern city of Nablus, in the northern area of the West Bank. The ruins of the city occupy a Tell (hill) of about 50 dunums rising some 525 meters above sea level and at about 20 meters above the fertile plateau of Askar.
Shechem, meaning shoulder or high place, was the first name of Nablus. It was given to the city by the Canaanites who lived there in the middle of the 3 millennium BC. The site is also called Tell Balata after the village of Balata (now a suburb of Nablus). The houses of the village occupy about one third of the southern part of the hill.
Archaeological excavations at Tell Balata indicate that the site was first settled during the 5 millennium BC (The Chalcolithic period). The Egyptian records from the reign of the Egyptian pharoah Senworset III indicate that Shechem was an important city state during the Middle Bronze Age (1900 - 1550 BC). This Age is recognized as the age of city-states in the history of Palestine. The city flourished greatly during this period, as can be seen from the great defensive system and the fine temples and palaces that have been excavated at the site. The Tell includes many architectural elements, the most impressive of which are the city walls and the entrance complexes. These are the best examples of Canaanite defense systems in Palestine. The massive wall that we see standing today is the third of 4 succesive walls that were built around the city in different periods. It is a well-preserved structure built of Cyclopean masonry around 1600 BC.
The two visible gates of Shechem are unique. The main entrance is the 17 century northwestern gate. It is triple chambered with two massive towers on each side opening onto the main street of the city. The other entrance is on the East Side of the city wall. It is double chambered and dates back to 1625 - 1575 BC. It is believed that the city had a third gate on the southeastern side of the wall, but this is not visible today.
The governor's palace is located right inside the northern gate. It includes a small private temple, guardrooms, an assembly, kitchen, and living rooms. The holy temple lies east of the palace and dates from the end of the Middle Bronze Age. The fortress temple on the summit of the hill is the largest and the most impressive surviving Canaanite temple in Palestine. It measures 26.8 meters long and 24.2 meters wide, its walls are about 5 meters thick. Archaeologists believe that it was a two-storey building. It has one entrance to the east, in the middle of which is a column to support a roof, and on each side of the entrance is a massive tower. The eastern tower has a stairway that might have led to the second floor. Inside the main hall are two rows of columns.
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