📋 Tender Overview
Archaeological excavations at Huqoq near the Sea of Galilee, in which students, local residents and soldiers participated over the past few months, provide a glance at dramatic episodes in the history of the Jewish people: the preparation of shelters in preparation for the Revolt of the Jews against the Romans, led by Bar Kokhba in 132–136 CE.
The excavation also revealed that, as part of the preparations for the First Revolt in 66 CE and the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 CE, the residents of Huqoq converted the water cistern (dug in the Second Temple period) into a hiding complex. In addition, at the time of danger, they broke one of the walls of the mikveh and dug a tunnel into other cavities. Several tunnels allowed maneuvering in narrow low spaces underneath the houses. In this underground system—the largest and most impressive discovered at the Galilee—there are about eight hiding cavities, and the connecting tunnels are dug at 90 degrees, to hamper the heavily armed Roman soldiers chasing the rebels. The excavation also yielded hundreds of broken clay and glass dishes, an impressive ring for a precious stone (the stone itself was not found), and other fascinating finds.
Huqoq is known as a Jewish town from the Early Roman period, about 2,000 years ago. The Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds mention Rabbi Pinhas and Rabbi Hezekiah, sages from the third and fourth centuries CE, who were based in the area. On the hilltop, near the hiding complex, a synagogue with impressive and unique mosaics, dating to the Byzantine period was discovered. The synagogue was dug since 2011 by an expedition from North Carolina University, headed by Professor Jodi Magness.
The goal of the Israel Antiquities Authority archaeological excavation in Huqoq, funded by The Ministry of Heritage and in collaboration with the Zefat Academic College and KKL-JNF, is to reveal the rich history of the site while involving the youth in its discovery, and eventually making the site available to the public. The hiding complex system is one of the important sites that will be developed in the Galilee, revealing to the public the defense methods of the Jewish population at the time of the revolts.
