Biblical Tels of Meggido, Hazor and Beer Sheba
Tels (prehistoric settlement mounds) are characteristic of the flatter lands of the eastern Mediterranean, particularly Lebanon, Syria and eastern Turkey. Of more than 200 tels in Israel, Meggido, Hazor and Beer Sheba are representative of those that contain substantial remains of cities with biblical connections. Their traces of construction over the millennia reflect the existence of centralized authority, prosperous agricultural activity and the control of importante trade routes. The site is inscribed at Unesco world heritage since 2005.
Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev
The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shitva, along with associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes in the Negev desert, are spread along routes linking them to the Mediterranean end of the incense and spice route. Together they reflect the hugely profitable trade in frankincense and myrrh from south Arabia to the Mediterranean, which flourished from the 3rd century BC until the 2nd century AD. With the vestiges of their sophisticated irrigation systems, urban constructions, forts and caravancerai, they bear witness to the way in which the harsh desert was settled for trade and agriculture. This site is inscribed as UNESCO world heritage since 2005.
