Tzur Natan

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Tzur Natan
צוּר נָתָן
Tzur Natan is located in Central Israel
Tzur Natan
Tzur Natan
Coordinates: 32°14′25″N 35°0′42″E / 32.24028°N 35.01167°E / 32.24028; 35.01167
CountryIsrael
DistrictCentral
CouncilDrom HaSharon
AffiliationMishkei Herut Beitar
Founded1966
Founded byNahal
Population
 (2023)[1]
277

Tzur Natan (Hebrew: צוּר נָתָן, lit. 'Rock of Nathan') is a moshav shitufi in central Israel. Located in western Samaria on a hilltop 170 m above sea level, on a ridge in the foothills of the Samarian Hills and to the south of Tayibe,[2][3] it falls under the jurisdiction of Drom HaSharon Regional Council. In 2023 it had a population of 277.[1]

History

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The moshav was founded in 1966 as a Nahal settlement by Hashomer Hatzair members, and was named after Nathan Simons. It was civilianised a year later by former members of the Beitar youth group.

In 2017 a minority of Tzur Natan families agreed to sell their land to a natural gas and diesel power station to be constructed by Edeltech only meters from the Arab Israeli city of Tira.

Archaeology

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Excavations at Tzur Natan between 1989 and 1994 revealed a large Byzantine-period complex identified as a Samaritan synagogue. The building, oriented toward Mount Gerizim, included a main hall with an apse, narthex, atrium, and benches along the side walls, as well as several miqva'ot.[4] Finds such as a menorah engraving on a basalt stone and oil lamps decorated with menorahs, together with literary evidence for a Samaritan presence in the area in the 5th century CE, led the excavators to attribute the synagogue to the Samaritans.[4]

A dedicatory mosaic by the entrance mentions the village of Antesion, thought to be the ancient name of the site. A coin of Justin II (565–578 CE) found in the fill dates the synagogue to the late 6th century.[4] The building appears to have been converted into a church before its final abandonment in the 8th century. To the west, excavators uncovered more than twenty rooms with oil presses, flour mills, and a wine press, which they interpreted as an agricultural and industrial complex belonging to the Samaritan community.[4]

In 2019 a 5th-century mosaic with Greek inscription found at an ancient wine press. The inscription reads, "Only God help the beautiful property of Master Adios, amen." Adios was a wealthy Samaritan landowner.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  2. ^ Zur Natan - Final Report
  3. ^ Introduction to the Excavations at Zur Natan, E. Ayalon, E. Matthews, W. Neidinger, Texas foundation for Archaeological and Historical Research, 1994
  4. ^ a b c d Pummer, Reinhard (1999). Fine, Steven (ed.). "Samaritan Synagogues and Jewish Synagogues: Similarities and Differences". Jews, Christians, and Polytheists in the Ancient Synagogue: Cultural Interaction During the Greco-Roman Period. London, New York: Routledge: 134–135. ISBN 978-0415518895.
  5. ^ 5th century Greek inscription found at site of ancient Samaritan rebellion