Challenging conceptions

The northernmost part of Tel Hazor’s lower city, Area H, was first excavated nearly seventy years ago, revealing the remarkable Orthostat Temple. Despite its significance, this area was not investigated further until 2023, when excavations were renewed to reassess its stratigraphy and settlement patterns. Our findings challenge previous assumptions regarding the extent and settlement density of the Late Bronze Age city at Hazor. Contrary to earlier interpretations of a continuously occupied lower city, our excavations indicate that much of its northern sector was uninhabited during this period. In addition, the stratigraphic sequence of the Orthostat Temple reveals previously unrecognised architectural modifications, suggesting evolving religious practices and shifting socio-political dynamics. These results warrant a reassessment of Hazor’s urban development and its role in the broader Canaanite landscape. By integrating new stratigraphic and ceramic analyses with past research, this study offers fresh insights into the transformation that Hazor’s lower city underwent from the Middle to Late Bronze Age.