Governor's Residence 2

View looking southwest at the large Governor’s Residence that was excavated and partially reconstructed on the top of the tell.  This picture was taken in 2010 when the building was recently reconstructed.  Compare the state of the walls seven years later.

The house was built in a luxurious Egyptian style—a square structure with rooms surrounding a central hall.  The ceiling rested on two wooden pillars that were supported by the two large stones that can be seen in the center of the courtyard.

An inscription was discovered in the excavation that indicated that this was the home of the Egyptian governor Ramses-Weser-Khepesh in the 12th century BC.  The house went out of use at the end of the 12th century when Egyptian rule in the area collapsed.