Water system at Tell es-Safi/Gath?

For many years now, an intriguing feature has piqued our interest at Tell es-Safi/Gath. Just to the south of Areas A and P, there is a round depression in the ground, in the small valley that is formed to the SE side of the upper tell (for those of you familiar with the site, on the way down to the bus parking). For many years, we have thought that this might represent a water system, but up till now, have not done anything concrete to check this out.

Well – all that will change as of tomorrow!

In collaboration with Zvika Zuk of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, who is a well-known expert on water systems (and is a co-director of the Tel Gezer Water System Project), we (Amit will be supervising the work in the field, I’ll come for a visit here and there…) are going to work with a tractor (yes, a tractor – I guess we will appear in BAR about this…), to clear the sediments that have accumulated at the top of this depression – and see if there is anything that can indicate that in fact this is a water system.

So, tomorrow and on Wednesday, we may have some interesting insights on what this interesting feature is.

And what can I say – I do hope it is some sort of water system (or the entrance to the unplundered tomb of Achish…) :-)

Updates will follow!

Aren