An ancient estate in northern Israel abandoned around 143 B.C. has revealed Greek connections through wine jars and drinking bowls imported from across the Mediterranean, according to archaeologists. Excavations at Khirbet el-‘Eika in Lower Galilee uncovered signs of a hurried departure, leaving storerooms filled with pottery and food supplies that survived for more than 2,000 years.
Researchers Uzi Leibner and Roi Sabar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem report that the hilltop settlement was established early in the second century B.C. and deserted around 144-143 B.C. Their findings, published in a 2026 issue of Near Eastern Archaeology, draw on four excavation seasons between 2015 and 2018.
Among the clearest clues are about 100 imported wine jars, mostly from the Greek islands of Rhodes and Kos. Stamps on their handles helped date the flow of wine, which ended around 145 B.C. Decorated drinking bowls came from Ephesus and Antioch. Tests on copper-alloy objects also pointed to possible Aegean ore sources.
Greek connections at the ancient estate reveal a wider trade network
Imported vessels accounted for 15% to 20% of the pottery recovered, but farming appears to have been the settlement’s main business. Its buildings occupied a site of roughly 1.4 hectares, including a large courtyard compound with rooms used for cooking and storage. At least five household units probably accommodated laborers or tenant farmers.
Jars held legumes, flax seeds, and possible mustard seeds. Researchers say legumes may have been grown for sale or taxes, while the crops may also reflect efforts to restore soil fertility. Agricultural tools point to orchards or vineyards, and animal bones show sheep, goats, cattle and pigs were consumed.
Pig remains accounted for 14% of identified animal bones. Together with pottery and coins linking the settlement to the Phoenician coast, they suggest a non-Jewish population, possibly Phoenician. Of roughly 200 coins recovered, 110 were minted at the coastal city of Akko-Ptolemais, a likely gateway for imported goods.
Fighting in Galilee may explain the estate’s abandonment
The layout suggests the property was owned by a wealthy individual or group, possibly through a royal land grant under the Seleucid rulers. The researchers found no evidence that the owner lived there. A modest defensive wall may have offered protection against smaller threats, but not a military assault.
Several rooms showed evidence of fire, and valuable objects were left behind. Leibner and Sabar consider the campaign of Maccabean leader Jonathan through eastern Galilee the most likely explanation for the abandonment. Another site at Kedesh was deserted at about the same time, amid struggles for control of the region.
A tower was later built on the hilltop, possibly under Hasmonean rule. The estate itself was never resettled.
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