Storie & Archeostorie

This morning, Thursday, October 29, the renovated Gal’on Fortress in the Guvrin Forest will be inaugurated following the completion of excavation, conservation, development and accessibility work by KKL-JNF and the Israel Antiquities Authority, allowing the public to enjoy one of the area’s most fascinating archaeological sites.

Gal’on Fortress is located in the heart of the Guvrin Forest, where planting began in 1963 and which covers an area of approximately 4,400 dunams. Located in the Judean Lowlands, about a 40-minute drive south of Jerusalem, the forest includes conifers, broad-leaved trees, and Mediterranean shrub forest, and is a green nature center, abundant with seasonal blooms.

“The Gal’on Fortress provides a glimpse into the geopolitical reality described in the Book of Judges, in which the Canaanites, Israelites, and Philistines fought each other,” say Dr. Saar Ganor and Dr. Itamar Weissbein, who excavated the site on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “At the onset of the 12th century BCE, the Land of Canaan was still ruled by the Egyptians, and its inhabitants were their subjects. At this juncture two additional major players appeared in the region: the Israelites and the Philistines, which led to a series of bloody territorial struggles. It seems that the Gal’on Fortress was built in a strategic location, overlooking the main road connecting the coastal plain to the Judean Lowlands; part of either a Canaanite or Egyptian attempt to deal with the new geopolitical situation.”

KKL-JNF invested approximately 400,000 NIS in this work, which included the preservation and renovation of the citadel itself, coating the buildings with a preservative material that blends in with the landscape and the site’s character; accentuating the citadel rooms and showcasing the entire structure; as well as developing visitor infrastructure with parking, a new access road, a picnic area and a new signage system – with handicapped-accessible parking and an accessible path to the citadel.

The site was renovated as part of a collaboration between the Keren Kayemet LeYisrael—Jewish National Fund and the Israel Antiquities Authority, working together to excavate, preserve, and develop the site, while preserving its historical values and making it accessible to the general public, especially for those challenged with disabilities.

Source: IAA Press Release