Tel Arad is a large archaeological site on the western edge of the Negev desert, remarkable for two distinct cities separated by nearly 2,000 years: a Canaanite city from the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BCE) and an Israelite fortress from the Iron Age (10th-6th centuries BCE). The Israelite fortress contains one of the most extraordinary finds in biblical archaeology: a temple with an altar, standing stones, and a Holy of Holies, the best-known Israelite temple ever discovered outside of Jerusalem.
Canaanite City
The lower city at Tel Arad dates to the Early Bronze Age (approximately 2950-2650 BCE) and is one of the best-preserved early urban sites in Israel. The city was well planned, with a fortification wall, residential quarters, public buildings, and a water system. The houses are uniform in design, suggesting a society with centralized planning. The city was abandoned around 2650 BCE, possibly due to climate change, and was not reoccupied for over a thousand years.
Israelite Temple
The Israelite fortress, built on the hilltop above the Canaanite city, dates from the time of King Solomon (10th century BCE) through the destruction by the Babylonians (6th century BCE). Within the fortress, archaeologists discovered a temple that mirrors the design of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem as described in the Bible: an outer courtyard with an altar for burnt offerings, a main hall, and an inner chamber (the Holy of Holies) with two standing stones (massebot) that may represent the presence of God. Two incense altars flanked the entrance to the Holy of Holies.
The temple at Arad is the only Israelite temple with a Holy of Holies ever found by archaeologists. Its existence raises important questions about Israelite worship: was worship at local temples acceptable before King Josiah’s reforms centralized all worship in Jerusalem? The Bible records Josiah’s order to destroy all temples outside Jerusalem: “He broke down the shrines at the gates” (2 Kings 23:8). The Arad temple appears to have been deliberately decommissioned, with its sacred stones laid on their sides and the altar buried, consistent with a planned closure rather than a violent destruction.
Ostraca
Over 100 ostraca (inscribed pottery shards) were found at the fortress, including military orders, supply requisitions, and personal correspondence. The Eliashib ostraca, addressed to the fortress commander Eliashib ben Eshiyahu, provide a vivid picture of daily life at a frontier military post: requests for wine rations, flour distributions, and instructions regarding the movement of troops. One ostracon mentions “the house of YHWH,” possibly referring to the temple at the site.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Tel Arad is one of the most important biblical archaeology sites in Israel. Hoshen Tours visits the Israelite temple, the Canaanite city, and the fortress to tell the story of Israelite worship, military life, and the reforms that centralized Jewish religion in Jerusalem.