Tel Arad, Israel: Ancient Ruins, Forbidden Temple, Fortress, Major Life Lessons from King Josiah

Tel Arad has a long history and played a key role during the times of the Canaanites and Israelites.

Location
1. Tel Arad is in the Negev about 16 miles (26 km.) east of Tel Beersheba, and 33 miles (54 km.) south of Jerusalem.
2. Tel Arad covers an area of about 100 acres (40 hectares) and is on the west side of Hwy 80.
3. Although this part of the Negev receives little rain, Arad is strategically situated on ancient trade routes.

Historical Background
1. Tel Arad has two major settlement periods, a Canaanite and an Israelite period. The lower part of the tel is from the Canaanite period and the upper fortress part is from the Israelite period.
2. The Canaanites were the original settlers of Arad and established a large city here around 3500 BC. It had an estimated population of approximately 2,500 residents.
3. Israel captured Arad in the conquest under Joshua. Later, in around 940 BC, an Israelite settlement was established here.
4. Because Tel Arad is so strategically located and important, it was destroyed and rebuilt 6 times from the 9th to the 6th centuries. It was most likely destroyed in 701 BC by the Assyrians and again by the Babylonians in 587 BC.
5. Over 100 pottery shards (Ostraca) were discovered at Tel Arad dating to the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Two of these are of great value as they mention two people from priestly families in the Bible, “Pashhur” from Ezra 2:38, and Meremoth from Ezra 8:33.
6. Two other pottery shards found at Tel Arad have written on them the name Arad, which confirms the identification of the city.

Places of Interest
1. Canaanite City
City walls
City gate
Temple
Palace
City Well
Homes

2. Entrance to Tel Arad

3. Upper parking – Easy access to the Fortress Mound

4. Israelite Fortress at Tel Arad

Although there was a small settlement during the time of Solomon, it was during the divided kingdom period that a fortress was set up at Tel Arad. The fortress served to protect Judah’s southern border against its enemies.
The southern area of Judah was dangerous, and the fortress at Arad was destroyed 6 times during the divided kingdom period.

It is likely that one of the destructions of the fortress occurred during Hezekiah’s reign when he rebelled against the Assyrian King,
Sennacherib, in 701 BC. Scripture recounts how all the fortified cities of Judah were destroyed at this time (2 Kings 18:13).

The fortress was rebuilt but destroyed again as a result of Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Judah in 586 BC.

During the Hellenistic period of the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC, a tower was built in the center of the fortress compound. During the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods, the tower was repaired and used as a military post. During the early Arab period, the structure served as an inn for caravans.

The fortress was finally abandoned in the 10th century AD.

Entrance Towers

Outer Court

5. Israelite Temple at Tel Arad
Arad had a functioning temple during the time of the divided kingdom that was somewhat similar to the temple in Jerusalem.

The temple at Arad was forbidden by God because the Israelites were to worship at no other place but Jerusalem at this time (Deut. 12:5-6).

Outer Court

Altar

Holy place – In Scripture, the holy place was a long rectangular room. At Arad, it is a wide rectangular room.

Altars of Incense

Holy of Holies

Dimensions of the Holy of Holies – In the tabernacle God ordered Moses to erect, the required dimensions of the Holy of Holies were to be 10 cubits by 10 cubits (15 ft., 9 m.) (Ex. 26:31–33). In Solomon’s temple, the Holy of Holies measured 20 cubits by 20 cubits (30 ft., 9 m.) (1 Kings 6:16).

When the second temple was rebuilt under Ezra, the measurements of the Holy of Holies of Solomon’s temple were kept.

The Holy of Holies at Arad measures about 7 ft. by 7 ft. (2.13 m.), much smaller than the Tabernacle of Moses and the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.

Standing stones – There are two standing stones in the Holy of Holies. One represents Yahweh and the other, Asherah, a false female god. This shows the worship of false gods mixed with the worship of God. Clearly, this was strictly forbidden.

According to archeological data, the temple in Arad was destroyed during King Josiah’s reign in about 630 BC (2 Kings 23:4–20). It’s possible, though, that the temple could have been removed by King Hezekiah under his reforms (2 Kings 18:22).

However, the worshipers at Arad refused to tear their temple down and covered it over with dirt instead.

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