The Artabba Fortress (E.P. 364): The Discovery of a Hasmonean-Herodian Fortress on the Northern Border of Judea

Abstract

The Artabba fortress, a site until recently unknown, is located at the summit of a high hill; its monumental remains were exposed by chance during development work carried out by residents of the nearby village of Deir Abu Mash’al. The remains included fortifications, architectural elements, five huge cisterns, ritual baths and storage pits, as well as various rock cuttings and numerous potsherds from the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods. These finds, especially the fortifications and the impressive water-supply system, are the principal features of sites in the Judean Desert and the settled areas of the country where there were fortresses from the Second Temple period. The archaeological finds, in conjunction with geographical and historical information, make it possible to date the fortress to the time from the reign of Simeon the Hasmonean to the end of Herod’s reign. The discovery of the Artabba fortress sheds light on the history of settlement in northern Judea in the Second Temple period.