IDF soldiers stationed at a base in southern Israel recently helped excavate an ancient watchtower dating back to the rule of King Hezekiah, who ruled Judah in the eighth century BCE.
The dig at the base was part of the Nature Defense Forces, a joint initiative by the IDF, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Israel Antiquities Authority which aims to inculcate in IDF officers and soldiers a sense of responsibility for the environment, their natural surroundings, and cultural legacy. The project launched in 2014 with eight different sites and has expanded to some 60 sites throughout Israel.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The watchtower was built on high ground and provided a sightline to the Hebron hills, the Judean plain, and the area surrounding the coastal city of Ashkelon. It was constructed out of large blocks of stone, some of which weigh as much as eight tons, and stood approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) high.
Saar Ganor and Vladik Lifshitz, who are overseeing the excavation for the IAA, explained that the tower's strategic location allowed guards on duty to give early warnings about encroaching Philistines, who controlled Ashkelon.
"In the First Temple era, the kingdom of Judah built a series of watchtowers and forts that served as points of contact, warning, and signaling as a way of transferring messages and intelligence," the archaeologists noted.
"This tower is one of the watchtowers that connected the larger cities around it. … In ancient times, messages were sent using smoke signals in daytime and torches at night. The watchtower that has been excavated might be one of the points where torches were set up," Ganor and Lifshitz said.
The watchtower ceased to be used ahead of a journey by Sennacherib King of Assyria through the kingdom of Judah in 701 BCE. The excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was sealed. The guards who had stood watch in it apparently regrouped in one of the nearby fortified towns. The biblical narrative and archaeological findings indicate that Sennacherib left immense destruction in his wake, destroyed 46 Judean cities and some 2,000 villages and farms.
Nature Defense Forces director Guy Selai says that some 150 paratrooper recruits and commanders participated in the watchtower excavation, which took several months.
"Happily, every one of the projects is strengthening the soldiers' ties to their surroundings. The IDF, as a melting pot for Israeli society, is a unique meeting place for people from all parts of the country, who through this environmental activity form closer bonds with nature and Israeli history," Selai said.
Second Lt. Roei Ofir, who commands new recruits in the Paratroopers Brigade patrol units, said, "For me, the archaeological excavation was something out of the ordinary. I saw the soldiers enjoying manual labor that had added value. This is the first time I took part in an excavation. The connection to the earth, and the fact that there were Jewish soldiers there in the past, gave me a sense of devotion. It also connected us to our training ground – we were actually giving back to the place where we trained."
