Jewish rebels and earthquake rubble: New dig aims to solve a pair of historical enigmas
Sartaba/Alexandrium was built by the Hasmoneans and expanded by Herod. A team of archaeologists has launched a first excavation in 40 years to probe the final days of the fortress
Rossella Tercatin is The Times of Israel's archaeology and religions reporter.
ALEXANDRIUM-SARTABA, Jordan Valley — A little broken jug sat in the dirt between the monumental stones of a collapsed wall, its round base protruding from dust and debris, as several archaeologists worked in the area. Their mission: To uncover the floor of the ancient palace that was once part of the Alexandrium fortress — also known by the Hebrew name of Sartaba — in the Jordan Valley, today’s West Bank.
“We can see the rim and part of the handle,” Dr. Dvir Raviv from Bar Ilan University, the excavation’s director, told this reporter on a cold, windy February morning. “Based on the typology, I can already determine that it dates back to the mid-1st century CE.”
One of the goals of the new dig, the first at the site in over 40 years, is to discover more about what happened to Alexandrium during the 1st century CE, especially during the Great Jewish Revolt against Rome (66-73 CE). The excavation is being carried out by Bar Ilan University in cooperation with the Staff Officer of Archaeology at the Department of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria (the site stands in Area C, under Israeli control).
A Hebrew University of Jerusalem team excavated the hilltop in the 1980s, but the initiative’s results were never published. All Raviv’s team could use as a basis for their work were a few items, such as ostraka (inscribed pottery sherds) and some notes and pictures. Among other finds, the archaeologists knew their colleagues had uncovered a white mosaic floor that paved the palace on the eastern slope.
After the first week of work, the archaeologists were excited to finally see the floor’s first tesserae (mosaic pieces) emerge from the dirt.
“We unearthed the floor level that was exposed 40 years ago,” said Vered Jacobi, one of Bar Ilan’s archaeology master students who joined the expedition. “All above it is the dirt accumulated over the past four decades.”
This reporter was also given a brush, a small metal spade, and two buckets to clear a section of about a square meter of grass and dirt. The cleaning process also included spotting and saving dozens of mosaic tesserae and fragments of pottery. While sifting through the dirt removed from the area, Jacobi spotted another potentially significant find.
“This is a charred date seed,” she said. “It could be recent, but it could also date back to when the fortress was in use. It is the first seed we have found in our excavation, and hopefully, it will not be the last. Seeds like this could help us determine when the site was used with more precision” through C-14 radiocarbon dating.
Alexandrium sits on a hilltop about 650 meters (2,100 feet) above the Jordan Valley and 380 meters (1,200 feet) above sea level. The foot of the hill can be reached by 4×4 vehicles that drive across dirt roads on ancient-looking desertic hills, with breathtaking views over the Jordan Valley and Jordan and the Gilead mountains appearing in the distance.
For the last portion of the way, the archaeologists must carry their equipment on foot along a narrow path that climbs the steep top. The view from above, where part of an imposing wall still stands, is payment for all the hard work, making it clear why Hasmonean King Alexander Janneus chose this location to build his fortress around 100 CE.
“We meet every morning at 5:00 a.m. and climb up,” said Jacobi. “We excavate until around 1:00 p.m.”
The Romans destroyed Alexandrium as General Gabinius conquered Judaea in 63 BCE. The general was invited in by Hasmonean ruler Hyrcanius II as his brother Aristobulos tried to overthrow him in a sequence of events that would turn Judeae into a vassal kingdom.
Herod the Great rebuilt and expanded the fortress in the second half of the 1st century CE.
“We can imagine Herod enjoying the view as he drank a glass of wine and waited for his important guests to visit him,” said independent archaeologist Achia Cohen Tavor, who joined the excavation as an area supervisor.
The eastern slope was likely chosen as the site for the palace because it is less steep and more protected from the winds.
“We can see where the peristyle used to stand,” said Raviv, referring to the colonnade that surrounded the building. “The palace was decorated with stuccos and fresco plaster. They used colors such as red, black, green, and yellow. The columns were five or six meters high.”
Scattered around the site are four heart-shaped stones that used to stand at the corners of the building. According to Raviv, one of them is still in situ, the technical term used to describe the original location of an archaeological remain.
The palace presented two sections, an inner hall, and four elongated rooms surrounding it.
“We also see an open cistern,” said Raviv. “Last week, we uncovered an installation that was probably a mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath.”
According to the archaeologist, the stones used to build the fortress were imported from other areas of the Jordan Valley.
“Some of them weigh five or six tonnes,” said Raviv. “They probably used donkeys and mules to carry them up, as well as many workers.”
Raviv said that the Hasmoneans did not employ slaves but were wealthy enough to afford the monumental constructions. Several Hasmonean fortresses dot the Judean Desert.
The eastern slope of the hill is also covered with pottery sherds. Pottery is essential to help researchers date a site or archaeological layer based on its typology. Clay vessels also often carry inscriptions.
“We will not know until we wash them,” said Raviv, pointing to different sherds, which included Hasmonean vessels and fragments of terra sigillata vessels, fine pottery popular in the Roman empire, featuring a glossy red surface and elaborate decoration.
“This type of vessel was imported from Syria or Anatolia,” said Raviv. “They were not common in the Jewish countryside because clay vessels were susceptible to receiving ritual impurity, so Judeaeans preferred to use stone vessels, which could not become impure. However, clay vessels are standard in Herodian palaces. This detail showcases the mixed identity of the king.”
During this reporter’s visit, a team was excavating the very top of the hill, next to the standing wall, which was likely part of the main fortification. The group was mostly comprised of volunteers, including eight middle school and high school students from the nearby settlement of Ytav.
“I believe that this experience can teach them much more than a day in school,” said Avital Elitzur, the youth activity coordinator who accompanied them.
Raviv and his team are also researching the northern slope. Greener than the rest of the hill, covered in grass and wildflowers, the slope offers several intriguing features.
“We can see that the area was remodeled with artificial terraces, and it appears that the soil is not local but imported,” Raviv said. “A water system stands there, and we also found a doric column capital. We believe this might have been the site of a royal garden.”
Raviv also pointed out that Alexandrium presents several signs of looting over the decades and even from the past few months: pits and a broken stone that was still intact when the team visited the site for the last time ahead of the excavation in the fall.
At regular intervals, the archaeologist examined the different areas of excavation as well as the dirt removed, using a metal detector to identify coins.
“On the first day, we found some 40 coins, including one featuring Tiberius, that is usually associated with the presence of the Roman army during the Jewish Revolt, another sign that rebels might have used this place,” he said.
The primary historical source documenting the period, the works of Roman-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (c. 37-100 CE) talk about Alexandrium during the Hasmonean and the Herodian periods but does not mention that the fortress was used by Jewish rebels, contrary to other sites, such as Herodium.
According to Raviv, however, there are reasons to believe that Jewish rebels were at the site, including some ostraka bearing Judaean names unearthed in the 1980s that are very similar to those from the period of the Great Revolt found at Masada and Herodium.
“We also know from the pictures of the 1980s excavation that there is an ash layer at the site,” Raviv said. “If we reach it, we could learn more about when the destruction happened. We believe it could be connected to the Jewish Revolt.”
Raviv anticipates this season of excavation will solve the enigma. The little jug protruding from the wall could also help.
Alexandrium was likely destroyed for good by the earthquake that hit the region in 363 CE.
“The event is well documented in letters sent by the bishop of Jerusalem Cyrill, who detailed the cities that were wrecked,” Raviv said. “His list includes several sites on both sides of the Jordan Valley. During our excavation, we hope to determine whether this was also the case for Alexandrium.”
