Hazor

Hazor, or Tel Hazor, is an archaeological tell in northern Israel, located in the Lower Galilee near the modern town of Hatzor HaGlilit. It is one of the largest and most important ancient sites in the region, spanning the Bronze Age through the Iron Age and revealing evidence of large-scale urban planning.

Excavations at Hazor have revealed extensive architectural and urban remains. The site includes massive fortifications, monumental gates, and public buildings, along with a large palace-like complex commonly described as a four-chambered public building. The stratigraphic record shows major settlement in the Late Bronze Age, followed by substantial destruction and rebuilding. A later phase in the Iron Age includes renewed occupation and city walls, indicating continued regional importance into the early part of the first millennium BCE.

Hazor features prominently in biblical literature. It is described as a major Canaanite city in the Jezreel Valley and is presented in the Book of Joshua as being conquered and burned during the Israelite campaign led by Joshua. The archaeological record at Hazor is discussed in the context of these narratives, with destruction layers attributed to transitions in the region’s political power, including events in the 13th–12th centuries BCE and later Iron Age periods. While scholars debate direct one-to-one correlations between the biblical text and the material remains, Hazor is widely regarded as a key site for studying Canaanite city planning, state formation, and early Israelite-era developments.

Today Hazor is protected as Hazor National Park and is managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Visitors can explore the tell, its ancient fortifications and remains, and view interpretive displays related to its Bronze and Iron Age phases.