Home > Sites > Yizreel Valley > Tell Sarid (Sadud, Shadud, Sadid)

 

Contents: Background Location History Aerial Map Photos Biblical Archaeological Other Refs Etymology

Background:

 

  Sarid is a Biblical city in the Jezreel valley.  It was mentioned in the bible as belonging to the area of Zebulun. Today the  Tell (mound)  is located near Kibbutz Sarid.

 

Location:

 

   The Tell can be seen while driving from Nahalal towards Afula, near the junction of Migdal Haemek and Kefar Baruch.  The name of the Tell in Arabic is "Sadud" or "Shadud", which preserved the ancient name and is one of the keys for the site's identification.

 

History of the place:

 

•  Early history

 

   The site of Tell Sarid was inhabited for 2000 years: starting from the Bronze age, and continued to be in use throughout the Israelite/Iron Age, up to the Hellenistic period (2-3 C BC).

 

   The city was strategically located near the ancient road that was adjacent to the site, which connected  Shimron to Mount Tabor, Afula, Megiddo and other east Galilee cities.

 

Map of the area around Sarid -From Canaanite/Israelite periods to the Roman period  - 15C BC through 3 C AD  (based on Bible Mapper 3.0)

 

• Roman times

 

   In the Roman times this site was already deserted, but the Roman road passed nearby. This road connected Sepphoris to Legio (Megiddo), and from there to the south of Israel and Egypt. Since Jesus traveled several times from Nazareth to Judea and Jerusalem and back, he must have passed this site by this road.

 

• Ottomans

 

   In 1868 a  German Christian sect tried to settle near the Tell, near the ruins of Khirbet Huneifis (Akhnifs, or Ikhneifis). After a short time they encountered hardships, became sick and died from Malaria, and decided to evacuate the site to other places.

 

 

The area around Tell Sarid  was  examined in the PEF survey (1866-1877) by Wilson, Conder and Kitchener. It appears at the top-left side of a section of sheet 8, and is named "Tell Shadud".   Their report (Sheet VIII p. 68) was short: "Tell Shadud (Mi) —A good-sized artificial mound, with fine springs beneath on the south".   Also seen in this section are: Ikhneifis - where the Germans settled Jungar - where Kibbutz Ginegar is located Tarbaneh - the Roman/Byzantine village  (Horvat Tarbenet)

Part of Map Sheet 8 of Survey of Western Palestine, by Conder and Kitchener, 1872-1877. (Published 1880, reprinted by LifeintheHolyLand.com)

 

 

• Modern History

 

   A kibbutz by the same name, Sarid, was established  in 1926 in the area west to the Tell.

 

Aerial View/Map:

 

This is the aerial view of the area from the east  side.  Pointing on  purple points will automatically scroll  to the relevant photo, text or web page.

 

 

Photos:

 

  This is the view from the south, close to the road from Migdal Haemek to Kefar Baruch. As can be seen, its a large Tell.

 

Click on the photos to view  in higher resolution...

   A view from the valley below the Tell, a small creek that used to flow water from the springs nearby (Ein Haklil) into Lake Baruch and Kishon river. It was one of the sources of water for the Tell. Another source of water was Sadud springs, on the south-eastern side of the hill (across the road).

 

 

Biblical References:

 

(a) Joshua 19: 10:12

 

This text described the borders of the Tribe of Zebulun (Zevulun), where the territory is referenced to Sarid (the border goes west and east to the city):

 

"And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families; and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid. And their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth; and it reached to the brook that is before Jokneam. And it turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth-tabor; ...".

 

(b) Isaiah 28: 24

 

   In this text the name "Yessded", breaking the clods of the ground,  which may be the source of the name (see also below in the Etymology).

" Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?"

 

(c) Job 39: 10

 

Another text uses the word "Yesadad":

 

   "Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?"
 

(d) Hosea 10:11

 

Another text using the word "Yesaded":

 

"And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods".

 

Archaeological References:

 

• Carta's Atlas of the Bible - Y. Aharoni [Carta Jerusalem 1974] - Shop for this must-have book.

  Maps: 71, 72

 

Other References:

 

• Kibbutz Sarid home page (in Hebrew) with details on its industrial companies
• Nathan Yonathan - famous poet/writer from Kibbutz Sarid

 

Etymology (behind the name):

* Tell - a layered mound (read about the story of the Tells)   * Sarid - in Hebrew: remnant. However, the common interpretation for the source of the name is "Sadid". The verb is  Sidud, which means in Hebrew: crumbling, loosening (of soil), as a preparation for seeding the field.  There are several Biblical references to the use of this word - see above.

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