Home > Sites > West Galilee > Tell Shavey-Zion

 

Contents: Background History Aerial Map Photos Tell (Mound) Etymology

Background:

 

Shavey Zion is a community village, based on an agriculture Kefar which was established in 1938 by Jewish immigrants from Germany (all from same city - Rexigen in Wurtenberg). It is south of Nahariya, on the shore. In the west of the village is the ruins of an  ancient Byzantine church with a beautiful mosaic floor.

 

History of the place:

 

The site was built in the bronze age, and was one of the Phoenician sites which based on the natural harbor in the canal of the stream that passes near the Tell. It is strategically located on Via Maris, the ancient North-South "HighWay".

 

 Two Roman milestones were found nearby, and marked the 4th and 5th miles from Acre to Tyre (309 and 310 of the Roman Acre-Syrian road that was built by Claudius in 56AD). They are displayed in the village.

 

Map / Aerial View:

 

An aerial photo of the village  is shown below. Pointing and clicking on selected points in purple will automatically scroll  to the relevant photo or  site.

 

 

 

Photos:

 

 

The view of the Byzantine church from the 5/6TH C AD is seen below.

 

Click on the photo to view it in higher resolution...

 

A larger detail of the floor:

 

 

Another section of the mosaic floor, with more complex patterns:

 

 

Tell (Mound):

 

On the north side of the Church there is the small Tell (Mound). Adjacent to it, there is a stream (called "Beit Haemek"), the source of the water for the site and also used as a water canal and part of  the natural harbor.

 

                                   

 

Etymology (behind the name):

Shavey-Zion  - means in Hebrew : those returning back to Zion (Israel)   Neo Come ("New village") - The Ancient Byzantine village may have been called by this name, since a text was found in Nahariya with this name In Arabic the area was called Al-Malacha (salting), named after the local salt industry - the water was let to settle into pits and collected after the water vaporized.

 

BibleWalks.com - walk with us through the sites of the Holy Land

 

     <<<All Sites>>>---first West Galilee site--->>> Nahariyah