Situated to the southwest of the modern town of Yeroḥam, in the heartland of other Negebite towns of the classical periods (Mampsis to its northeast, Elusa and Reḥovot-in-the-Negev to its northwest, Nessana and Sobota to its southwest and Oboda to its south), the site of Meẓad Yeroḥam has received little attention in modern research due to lack of publications. Surveyed by Palmer (1870) and Glueck (1954) and excavated by Cohen (1966–1967, 1993) and Baumgarten (2000), the site’s four areas of excavations (A–D) revealed three layers of occupation dated from the Early Roman (1st/2nd century CE) through the Late Byzantine (6th and possibly early 7th century CE) period, based on the unearthed pottery and coins. While the early occupation at the site is restricted to Areas B and C, the site’s current architectural landscape dates to the Byzantine period and illustrates a relatively dense settlement whose character – apparently a caravanserai with a few buildings of military and domestic (familial) nature – differs from contemporaneous Negebite large villages and townlets. This function and use may also hint at its character during earlier periods of occupation. One of the Greek ostraca found at the site mentions a toponym, Μαραμαθως, perhaps the site’s ancient name which sadly is unrecorded in contemporaneous epigraphic material or known from historical sources.

This study constitutes a full report of the site’s excavations, dealing with its history of research, environs, architecture and stratigraphy, architectural sculpture, pottery, glass, stone (and other artifacts) and coins, as well as ostraca, dipinti and shells. The site’s necropoleis and hinterland are also discussed in detail. The analysis of Meẓad Yeroḥam is holistic in nature, based upon the finds recovered and the Zeitgeist of the current research of the classical periods in the Negev.

List of Authors and Contributors

Preface

Chapter 1. Introduction (Oren Tal, Itamar Taxel and Nicolas Benenstein)

1.1 Historical Background

1.2 History of Research

1.3 The Site Environs

Part 1: The Site and Its Environment

Chapter 2. Stratigraphy and Architecture (Oren Tal, Itamar Taxel, Nicolas Benenstein and Ya‘aqov Baumgarten)

2.1 Area A

2.2 Area B

2.3 Area C

2.4 Area D

Chapter 3. Architectural Sculpture (Lihi Habas)

3.1 Catalogue

3.2 Discussion

3.3 Summary

Chapter 4. The Roman and Byzantine Necropoleis of Meẓad Yeroḥam (Pablo Betzer)

4.1 The Vaulted Hypogeum

4.2 Aerial and Traditional Surveys of the Meẓad Yeroḥam Necropoleis

4.3 The Southern Necropolis

4.4 Discussion

Chapter 5. Transit Routes and Agricultural Hinterland in the Periphery of Meẓad Yeroḥam (Ofer Sion, Yotam Tepper, Noi Shemesh, Alexander Wiegmann and Nicolas Benenstein)

5.1 Roads and Routes

5.2 Water Sources

5.3 Agriculture

5.4 Quarries

5.5 Discussion

5.6 Summary

Part 2: Artifacts and Ecofacts

Chapter 6. Pottery (Itamar Taxel, Nicolas Benenstein and Oren Tal)

6.1 The Roman Period

6.2 The Byzantine Period

6.3 The Ottoman Period

6.4 Discussion

Chapter 7. Glass Vessels and Small Objects Made of Glass, Faience and Stone (Ruth E. Jackson-Tal)

7.1 The Vessels

7.2 The Objects

7.3 Summary

Chapter 8. Stone, Plaster, Bone and Metal Finds (Itamar Taxel, Oren Tal and Nicolas Benenstein)

8.1 Stone and Plaster Objects

8.2 Bone Objects

8.3 Metal Objects

Chapter 9. Coins (Donald T. Ariel)

9.1 The Roman Period

9.2 The Byzantine Period

9.3 The End of Meẓad Yeroḥam: Coin and Other Evidence

9.4 Summary

9.5 Catlogue

Chapter 10. Greek Ostraca (James G. Keenan)

Chapter 11. Dipinti (Oren Tal, Itamar Taxel and Nicolas Benenstein)

Chapter 12. A (Fake) Ptolemaic Cartouche (Deborah Sweeney)

Chapter 13. Shells (Henk K. Mienis and Oz Rittner)

13.1 Material and Methods

13.2 Results

13.3 Discussion

13.4 Summary

Part 3: Epilogue

Chapter 14. Summary and Conclusions: Synopsis of the Findings and Their Meaning (Oren Tal, Itamar Taxel and Nicolas Benenstein)

14.1 Location and Terrain

14.2 Site Plan

14.3 Architectural Characteristics

14.4 The Artifactual (Non-Epigraphic) Evidence

14.5 The Epigraphic Evidence and the Site Administration

14.6 Aspects of Christianity: A Missing(?) Ecclesiastic Complex and the Site’s Role in Holy Land Pilgrimage

14.7 The Site Abandonment and End of Occupation