Motza (Colonia) is a small community at the western entrance to Jerusalem, sitting on the remains of an ancient settlement that has been inhabited for thousands of years. Recent archaeological discoveries at Motza have revealed one of the most significant finds in biblical archaeology: a massive Neolithic settlement dating to approximately 9,000 years ago, making it one of the largest prehistoric sites ever found near Jerusalem.
Neolithic Discovery
In 2019, excavations ahead of highway construction uncovered a settlement from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period (approximately 7000 BCE) covering over 40 hectares (400 dunams) and home to an estimated 2,000-3,000 people. The settlement, enormous by Neolithic standards, contained stone buildings, storage facilities, animal pens, and evidence of early agriculture. The discovery changed the understanding of the Jerusalem area’s prehistory: previously, scholars believed that large Neolithic settlements were found only in the Jordan Valley and the coastal plain, not in the Judean hills.
Biblical Connection
Motza may be the biblical Mozah, a town in the territory of Benjamin listed in Joshua 18:26. In the Second Temple period, the town was known as Colonia (the Roman name, reflecting a settlement of Roman veterans), and it was the source of the willow branches used in the Sukkot water-drawing ceremony at the Temple. The Mishnah records: “They would go down to Motza and gather large willow branches” (Sukkah 4:5).
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Motza adds a prehistoric dimension to the Jerusalem story. Hoshen Tours mentions the discovery in the context of Jerusalem’s deep history.