Tel Tirza

15km/9mi northeast of Nablus on the road to Tubas is Tel Tirza (Arabic Tell Faria). Excavations between 1946 and 1960 showed that there was a settlement here in the fourth millennium B.C. which was abandoned about 2500 B.C. Around 1700 B.C. the Canaanites established a new town, which was taken by Joshua in the 13th century B.C. (Joshua 12,24). In the 10th century Jeroboam, who had first resided in Shechem and later in Pnuel on the east bank of the Jordan, made Tirzah capital of his kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 14,17). The town lost its importance when, about 880 B.C., Omri transferred his capital to Samaria. In 772 B.C. the town was destroyed by the Assyrians. Over the remains of the town the excavators found traces of Assyrian, Hellenistic and Roman settlement.