Tel Beth Shemesh

View looking south and down at the Tel Beth Shemesh from the Zorah Ridge.  The tell is about 7 acres in size and about 70% of it has been excavated.  On the tell various paths and excavated squares are visible.

In the foreground is the Sorek Valley—green vegetation followed by a brown plowed field.  Beyond the tell are the buildings of a portion of modern Beth Shemesh—population ca. 150,000.

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Beth Shemesh (House/Temple of the Sun [god]?) is located 12 mi. [20 km.] west of Jerusalem just south of the Sorek Stream in the Shephelah.  It was situated in the buffer zone between the Philistine Plain to the west and the Hill Country of Judah to the east.  It is certainly to be identified with Tell er–Rumeileh located to the west of the now-destroyed Arab village of 'Ain Shems.