The Struggle for Tel Beit Shemesh

In recent weeks, a group of residents from Beit Shemesh and nearby have been campaigning to save Tel Beit Shemesh.
Their struggle headlined in the local and national media, and Mayor Aliza Bloch has announced her efforts to find an alternative solution for the construction of Highway 38 in order to preserve the archaeological findings.

Tel Beit Shemesh

Tel Bet Shemesh is a hill located at the western edge of Beit Shemesh which Rought 38 cuts through. To the east of Tel Beit Shemesh existed an Arab village until 1948 who preserved the original name of the city Beit Shemesh by calling their village 'Ein A Shams' (Sun in Arabic).

From 1990 until today, researchers from Tel Aviv University - Zvi Lederman and Shlomo Bunimovich - have been excavating the hill of Tel Beit Shemesh. Over the course of these years they have found important archaeological finds that are unmatched anywhere else in Israel.

The Expansion of Route 38

As part of the efforts to expand Highway 38, Netivei Yisrael and the Israel Antiquities Authority agreed on conducting conservation excavations in the area of the planned road and then it would be released for construction.

Conservation excavations allows the possibility of further research and excavations in the future but allow construction and development above the excavation. When building on an area suspected of being an archaeological site, the Antiquities Authority or another authorized body carries out excavations, in which the important finds are removed from the area, and then the area is released for construction. In some cases, the Antiquities Authority request not to dig in the area.

Dramatic findings?

During these excavations, additional areas of archaeology were discovered that were not know about, although researchers currently disagree about how significant these discoveries are.
Dr. Zvi Lederman, who has been studying the mound for the past three decades, and Dr. Yehuda Govrin, who has been conducting the excavations in the southern part of the road in recent months, claim that the remains of the city are from Hezekiah's time and point to a developed oil industry.
Other researchers, headed by Oded Lifschitz, who manages the excavations in the northern part of the road claim that the findings are not significant enough to halt construction.

The Struggle to Save Tel Beit Shemesh

Following these findings, and despite disagreement among researchers, active residents organized a group dedicated to preserving the site and demanded a change of plans for Route 38.
Mayor Aliza Bloch said that she approached the Transportation Ministry and suggested alternatives to the route that would not harm the site. She added that she intends to promote the planning and construction of a tourist site that will include a visitors’ center and hotels.

On Friday, January 4th, a huge event will will be held to raise public awareness of the site.
Families are invited to to tour and see first- hand the recent discoveries: the way of life, commerce, and the various professions of the original Beit Shemesh residents.

Many different groups and organizations volunteered to put together this event:

The Kfar Etzion Field School donated its instructors

Several residents volunteered to guide and translate
Midrashot Beit Shemesh, the Branco Weiss students, and the Kehila organization planned the family activities for the event.