Courtesy of KRP Photo Archive, taken by David
L. Kennedy. Aerial view of Mudaybi. A = the gate complex. B
= the city walls. C = cisterns. D = towers. (Not all walls
cisterns, and towers labeled.)
Courtesy of John Wineland. View of Akuzeh
from the north looking south. The fortress is on the spur of
the hill and guards against an enemy crossing the Wadi el-Hesa
(in the background).
Courtesy of Terry Eddinger. Note the moat
between the fortress and the hill, which creates a barrier
to the only area that allows easy access to the fort.
This is a hypothetical fortress. Shape and
size will vary according to geographic features.
Selected Iron Age Fortified Sites in
Palestine. Cities in Green are fortified sites mentioned in
this article. Cities in Burgundy are modern and are included
for reference.
Courtesy of Terry Eddinger. Mudaybi from the
northwest. The basalt outcropping in the foreground and on
the adjacent hill served as a quarry for the site.
Courtesy of John Mark Wade. The cut stone in
the foreground was prepared for the Mudaybi (in the
background) but was never used.
Courtesy of John Mark Wade. Mudaybi’s
northwest corner tower. Notice how the tower extends out
from the city wall.
Courtesy of John Mark Wade. Entrance into
Mudaybi, view from the outside of the city. The left
doorjamb for the gate remains standing today.
Courtesy of John Mark Wade.
Although in partial ruins, the of Mudaybi’s city wall is
clearly visible.
The doorways allowed entry
into the rooms in peace times. The rooms could be used for
most anything, such as living quarters or storage. However,
in times of war, the rooms were filled with debris and the
doorways were walled shut. This procedure changed the
casemate wall into a massive, solid wall for added
protection.
