In March 2020, a community excavation was conducted on the eastern margins of Tel Bene Beraq, near Mesubbim Junction (Permit No. A-8698; map ref. 183777–4007/660325–425). The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and in cooperation with Ariel Sharon Park Ltd., was directed by I. Radshkovsky, D. Weinberger and T. Haviv-Mashiah (guidance and field photography), with the assistance of Y. Amrani and Z. Lotan (administration), M. Marmelstein and A. Bouchenino (field preparation), I. Jonish (surveying), A. Tamir (metal detector and guidance), D. Golan (advice), Y. Tepper (guidance), R. Hoffin, A. Amit, A. Rosenthal, A. Kogot, M. Ben Yaakov and V. Busidan (youth counseling), as well as D. Barkan and D. Abu Salah. Students from Or Yehuda, Yehud, Qiryat Ono and Ramat Gan participated in the excavation.
Ten excavation squares were opened, yielding the remains of a wall and a floor (Fig. 1) dated to the Ottoman or the British Mandate period. These are probably the remains of the Arab village of el-Kheiriye (for background and references, see Beeri et al. 2019). The excavation was stopped without reaching the earlier strata.
Be’eri R., Golan D., Dayan A., Harpak T., Haklay G., Rudin T. and Karkovsky M. 2019. Bene Beraq, Tel (South). HA–ESI 131.