Exploring Tel Arad: An Ancient Canaanite and Israelite City

I visited dozens of archaeological sites while researching in Jerusalem. Tel Arad was one of the my favorites and the inspiration for my video on YHWH and Asherah. Here is a longer exploration of this ancient Canaanite and Israelite city.

Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry

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[ProfessorPolitics]

Not only was this super informative, but your video quality is gorgeous! I feel like I learned a lot while being led on a guided tour of the city.

[williamjones]

I studied ancient history at university and the first thing our Professor said in my first ever lecture was that historians of the modern period have it easier because of an overwhelming amount of data, but combining archaeology, texts, inscriptions and coinage is part of the fun. Love this channel by the way

[rileyc]

I love your channel so much! I'm going into my senior year of high school and I want to major in Religious Studies when I head off to college. You and your videos inspire me to do so!

[danuuu]

Very interesting video as an Israeli I remember as kids we used to play in the mountains in Bet Shemesh (a city south of Jerusalem) and found many ancient remains of structures and pottery shards but as kids we didn't put much attention to this stuff. Later when I grew up and learn more about archeology I found it very interesting and I wish I would have investigated it more.

[CaskTheology]

Great video. Like you I love this stuff, I can almost feel the history of the place, leting my imagination run wild. Thank you for this extended visit to this interesting site.

[stellamarina]

Recommending the book "The Source" by James Michener to all interested in ancient history of Israel. A historical novel following the history of the various levels of a Tel in the same area as Tel Arad. He was a best selling author a few decades back so the oldies will recognize the name, but I want to introduce him to the younger generation. I read this book when I was young as an introduction to Israel. Reading it again in my old age, after having visited Israel and spending a month looking around, the book gives a whole new level of understanding. Just want to say too that you do not need to pay for expensive tours to see Israel. Go stay at hostels and travel around on the local buses. Easy to do for way less cost.

[greatwolf]

How are you able to visit these places? Did you get a grant from your university to research in Israel? I would love to visit all these places.

[NullStaticVoid]

I find it fascinating that the more I learn about the ancient middle east and the various predecessors of the ancient Israelites and Judeans, the more polytheism I find in the bible.
Not to mention the obvious influence of other cultures in the story of Noah, and the cosmology.

[ahrayahahlalabayaahyashara]

You’re standing on Holy Ground! This is the Beautiful but Desolate Mt. Zion because the Holy & Mighty One of Israel has spoken it.

[bereftspud]

Do a video on Solomon's temple, the Second temple and the possibly of the construction of a third temple in the near future.

[clacicle]

I worked on a dig there back in the 1980s. Found some interesting things.

[markusarseneault]

Ooo; Now I want to see comparison of Canaanite and Israelite culture, along with the migration/native theories!

[Vanalovan]

Just an interesting comparison, my base by Arad still has a centrally located synagogue that’s clearly modeled after the First Temple. Is the shrine also located at the center of the fortress or the periphery? Is there any sign that it is modeled after a larger shrine elsewhere?

Also as an unrelated question, do you know much about the Jewish-Samaritan split? I wrote a paper on it University and was fascinated to find a letter from a Jewish garrison in Persian Egypt addressed to both Samaritan and Jerusalem priests asking for instructions on how to a proper Seder, appearing to treat them both as co-equal authorities. This obviously changed with the Hasmonean destruction of the Samaritan temple but I think the this divide is a really interesting example of how different sects were born, differentiated themselves and eventually came into conflict over the course centuries in a pattern that seemed to repeat again and again in the region during these time periods.

[Miltonbryan]

Are you able to visit Huqoq and the ancient synagogue there? I read that they recently uncovered a new mosaic!

[darakfawaraalah]

I have the book arad inscriptions and have been there over 10 times. It is definitely the House of Yah..It fits so many things in the Bible and it the only place in the land where you can find the actual holy of holies..A replica of the holy of holies is displayed in the Israeli museum and in Arad is the only place where you find it..I have a lot of information to prove that Tel Arad is the actual City of David.

[nickc]

Would love a video about Hmongic folk religion!

[rumrunner]

Wonderful channel! Maybe you could visit the Pantheon in Rome someday and see if you can point out the pagan bits that were left over.

[tony]

I really wish I could have the chance to go to such places.

[gk-qfhv]

Notice that the Monument to Asherah is been removed from the temple!
This is a crime to the world heritage!

[liquidluck]

alright but where did the aliens park their space ships at?