Kedesh

Tel Kedesh (Kedesh) is an archaeological tell in the Upper Galilee of northern Israel with occupation layers spanning the Iron Age through Hellenistic periods. It is known in the biblical record as a Levitical city and a city of refuge for the tribe of Naphtali.

The site offers exposed ruined foundations and the upper mound where visitors can see remains of houses, fortifications and administrative buildings from successive periods. The most visible archaeological features are the Persian-Hellenistic administrative complex and foundation layouts that illustrate the site’s provincial role in antiquity.

Kedesh appears in biblical texts as a Levitical city and a refuge city and was later an administrative center under Persian and Hellenistic rule. Systematic excavations in the mid-20th century and later seasons revealed the monumental administrative structures and material culture from those periods.

The tell sits in the Upper Galilee near the modern Israeli-Lebanese border in the Northern District, close to the small communities on the northern Galilee plateau and overlooking parts of the Hula basin and surrounding agricultural land.

• Biblical role: Identified in the Hebrew Bible as a Levitical city and a city of refuge for the tribe of Naphtali, the site has visible remains from Iron Age through Hellenistic periods.
• Archaeology: Archaeological excavations exposed an administrative center from the Persian and Hellenistic periods, making the site important for studying regional governance under imperial rule.

What to See #

• Tell (mound): An earthen mound containing stratified remains from multiple periods, with exposed walls and habitation layers visible on the summit and slopes.
• Persian-Hellenistic administrative complex: A complex of Persian and Hellenistic-period administrative and religious remains identified on the site, including foundations of a columned hall and associated courtyards.