Evidence of human settlement found on Jonah’s Hill

Not just a name anymore: recent archaeological finds prove that human settlements existed atop Ashdod’s Givat Yona (Jonah’s Hill), traditionally regarded by Muslims as the site of the tomb of Jonah the prophet, in the First Temple period – the era of the prophet’s life.

According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the foundation of a large fortress, with walls over one meter wide, was uncovered at the site in a trial archaeological excavation. The remains were dated to the late eight and early seventh centuries BCE.

“Givat Yona, which rises about 50 meters above sea level, is the highest hill in Ashdod, whence one can look out to sea … due to its strategic location, it is not surprising to find there remains of a fortress that overlooked the region in the First Temple period,” commented Ashkelon District Archaeologist Saar Ganor on the discovery. “There are two possibilities as to who inhabited the fortress at that time: one possibility is that it was controlled by the Assyrians who were the regional rulers in the Iron Age. Another possibility is that Josiah, king of Judah, occupied the fort at the time, who we know conquered territory from the Assyrians and controlled Ashdod-Yam in the seventh century BCE.”

The site was sanctified for centuries as Jonah’s tomb in Muslim tradition and was declared the prophet’s grave site by the “Atra Kadisha” group about a decade ago.

The excavation at the site was conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in conjunction with Hofit, the Ashdod Development and Tourism Company.