Moats in Ancient Palestine

By Dag Oredsson
November 2000
Almqvist & Wiksell International
ISBN: 91-22-01892-1
213 Pages, Illustrated
$59.50 Paper Original

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Moats were a common element around settlements in ancient Palestine. This is the first study to highlight this neglected phenomenon. Because Palestine is a dry region, these moats were rarely water-filled. Instead, they were often cleverly designed with a shape that prevented enemies from attacking the city wall, but there were also other reasons behind making a moat.

Moats appear not only in reports from archaeological excavations and surveys but also in more ancient sources, i.e. reliefs and texts. This book includes a survey of these and a discussion of the ancient terminology for moats, especially in the Old Testament.

Religious History, History
Coniectanea Biblica Old Testament Series 48

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