Tell Sheikh Abu Zarad is a prominent
archaeological mound in the central hill
country of Palestine, located between
Samaria and Judea along the main
north–south route linking Shechem and
Jerusalem. The tell occupies a strategic
hilltop position overlooking major
communication routes and fertile valleys,
a setting that favored long-term
settlement and the development of an
urban center.
Archaeological survey and surface
collection indicate that the site was
occupied from the Early Bronze Age
(ca. 3000 BCE) through the Ottoman
period, with its main urban phases in
the Middle Bronze Age and Iron Age.
During these periods the settlement
expanded across the entire mound,
with an acropolis, lower city, and
defensive fortifications.
The site is widely identified with the
biblical town of Tappuah, mentioned in
the Book of Joshua as a city on the
border between the tribal territories of
Ephraim and Manasseh and as part of
the list of conquered Canaanite cities.
This identification reflects the site’s
importance in the central highlands
during the Late Bronze and Iron Age
periods.
Later phases of occupation included
Hellenistic and Roman installations,
Byzantine activity, and Islamic rural
occupation, indicating a long sequence
of reuse and adaptation of the acropolis
area. A necropolis with tombs from
several periods surrounded the mound,
demonstrating its continuous role as a
local center across multiple historical
epochs.
Sheikh Abu Zarad