Gate piazza and cult at iron age IIA tell el-Far'ah north

Tell el-Far'ah, excavated between 1946 and 1960 by the École Biblique, is commonly identified as biblical Tirzah, the early capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel. We will discuss the buildings near the gate of the city and the cultic activities that were performed there. New interpretation of the portable shrine found there will be presented. Data uncovered at Khirbet Qeiyafa may point to similar patterns of behaviour near city gates at both sites. In the 10^th century BCE urban concepts developed in Judah and Israel around the city gate, the gate piazza and the cultic activities conducted in this location.