Tel Arshaf Attractions

Immediately north of the shrine of Sidna Ali in Herzliya is Tel Arshaf, site of the ancient port of Rishpon which is mentioned in Assyrian texts. The town was dedicated to Reshef, the Canaanite god of fire and fertility. The Greeks who settled here in the later fourth century B.C. equated Reshef with Apollo and named the town Apollonia. In 95 B.C. the town was captured by the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus, but in 63 B.C. it was retaken by Pompey and again came under Hellenistic influence. In the seventh century the port was occupied by the Arabs, who called it Arsuf. In the 12th century it became known to the Crusaders as the castle of Arsur. Richard Coeur de Lion defeated Saladin here in 1191. In 1265 the town was destroyed by the Mamelukes. Excavations from 1950 onwards brought to light various Roman buildings, including a theater.