Ancient Watchtower from King Hezekiah's Time Discovered at Paratrooper Base

An ancient watchtower from the Kingdom of Judah was recently uncovered in archaeological excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority at a paratrooper base in southern Israel. The excavation, involving soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade, is a part of the "Nature Protection Corps" project led by the IDF's Technology and Maintenance Corps in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Nature and Parks Authority, and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The tower, estimated in ancient times to be 3.5 by 5 meters, dates back to the 8th century BCE, during the reign of King Hezekiah. It was built on high ground, allowing a view of the Hebron hills, the Judean lowlands, and the Ashkelon periphery. Constructed from particularly large stones, some weighing around 8 tons, the tower remained preserved up to a height of about 2 meters.

According to researchers, the tower was part of the defense network and continuous security strategy in times of emergency for the Kingdom of Judah. "The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout point and warning against the Philistine enemy, one of whose cities was Ashkelon," say Vladik Lifshitz and Sa'ar Ganor, who managed the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "During the First Temple period, the Kingdom of Judah built a network of towers and fortresses that served as communication, warning, and signaling points to convey messages and field intelligence. This tower is one of the observation points that connected the major cities in the area, which were located at sites like Beit Mirsim (Maresha), Tel Eton, and Tel Lachish. To transmit the messages, ancient people used smoke signals by day and fire signals by night. It is possible that the watchtower recently discovered was one of the beacon towers."

(Video credit: Israel Antiquities Authority)

Researchers estimate that activity in the ancient tower, which was discovered within the military base, ceased shortly before Sennacherib of Assyria's campaign to Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was blocked, and the stationed force likely retreated to one of the nearby fortified cities.

According to biblical evidence and the archaeological findings, Sennacherib's campaign left massive destruction in Judah, including the complete destruction of 46 cities and approximately 2,000 villages and farms.

Guy Salai, manager of the "Nature Protection Corps" project, described the archaeological digs at the base, which involved around 150 recruits and commanders from the Paratroopers Brigade, including scouts-in-training, in an activity that lasted several months. He noted that the initiative, launched in 2014, was established to encourage commanders and soldiers to take responsibility and ensure active involvement in preserving the natural, landscape, and heritage values of their surroundings. "To our delight, in every project, a mutual bond is formed to strengthen the connection between soldiers and their environment. The IDF is a unique meeting point for people from all over the country, and through environmental activities, a stronger connection to preserving Israeli nature and heritage is created," Salai said.

Second Lieutenant Roy Ofir, a platoon commander in the Paratroopers' Palmach, recounted: "The archaeological excavation was a routine breaker for me. I saw the soldiers enjoying manual labor with added value. This was the first time I participated in digs. The connection to the land and the fact that Jewish warriors were there in the past gave me a sense of mission."

The remains of the ancient watchtower (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority)