Ancient Gal'on Fortress Reopens After Conservation Work in Israel

Gal'on Fortress, a Canaanite stronghold dating to the 12th century BCE, was formally reopened on Thursday morning after extensive conservation and renovation. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, known as KKL-JNF, carried out the project alongside the Israel Antiquities Authority, combining preservation of the ancient structure with improvements to visitor facilities.

The fortress lies within Guvrin Forest in the Judean Lowlands, amid conifers, broad-leaved trees and Mediterranean shrubs. IAA archaeologists Dr. Saar Ganor and Dr. Itamar Weissbein discovered it during excavations in 2018 and 2019 near Kibbutz Gal On in southern Israel. They believe it was probably constructed to defend local Canaanite residents against incursions, potentially by the Philistines.

Ganor and Weissbein linked the fortress to the regional conflicts described in the biblical Book of Judges. They explained that Egypt still controlled Canaan at the beginning of the 12th century BCE, with its inhabitants living as Egyptian subjects. The arrival of the Israelites and Philistines introduced further competition for territory. Overlooking the main road between the coastal plain and the Judean Lowlands, the fortress may have formed part of a Canaanite or Egyptian response to those changes.

The roughly square structure measures about 18 meters on each side and has a watchtower at every corner. Its entrance threshold was cut from solid rock and weighs approximately three tons. Stone slabs covered the interior courtyard, where columns stood in the central area. Rooms used for accommodation and storage lined both sides of the court.

Excavations inside those rooms yielded thousands of pottery fragments, along with some vessels that survived intact. Archaeologists believe the objects were used in the worship of local gods. The renovation sought to make the fortress's layout easier to understand by highlighting its rooms and presenting the structure as a whole.

KKL-JNF invested approximately NIS 400,000 in the work. Conservation measures included applying a protective coating designed to suit the site's character and surrounding landscape. Visitor improvements included parking, an access road, a picnic area and new signs, as well as accessible parking spaces and a path providing access to the citadel.

KKL-JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky described heritage preservation as a responsibility to pass the land's history to future generations. He said the fortress gives visitors an opportunity to encounter that history within the forest landscape. Ami Shahar, the IAA's conservation deputy director-general, stressed that archaeological work must include protecting excavated remains over the long term, describing Gal'on as an example of cooperation extending from excavation through conservation to public access.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu drew a connection between the fortress's ancient setting and Israel's present security concerns. He said the conflicts associated with the period of the Judges demonstrated the long history of struggles over the land, and described visits to the site as a way to strengthen connections with heritage and a sense of responsibility for protecting it.