The earliest settlers at Tel Gezer arrived in the 4th millennium BCE, dwelling in caves carved into the rock. This strategic city, located today halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, controlled a vital crossroads in ancient times – the route connecting Egypt to the north and the Judean Hills to the east. By the Middle Bronze Age (around 2000 BCE), Gezer blossomed into a major Canaanite city.  Enormous fortification walls protected the settlement, while a unique cultic area with ten massive standing stones hinted at religious practices.  

Like many ancient cities in the region, Gezer was destroyed in a fiery conquest, possibly by the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III. Egyptian dominance continued in the Late Bronze Age. References to Gezer appear in Egyptian sources, and on the ground a grand palace emerged on the acropolis, testifying to its importance.  

The Iron Age ushered in a period of shifting control. The Bible recounts the Israelites’ conquest of Gezer under Joshua. Later in history, King Solomon transformed Gezer into a key Israelite storage city,  rebuilding it with impressive double walls and a sophisticated gate complex.  This period also yielded the famous Gezer Calendar,  a small tablet inscribed with agricultural tasks,  considered one of the earliest examples of Hebrew writing.

Today, Tel Gezer stands as an open-air museum, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who inhabited the city and land for centuries. From Canaanite temples to Israelite fortifications, each unearthed layer tells the story of a fascinating historical site.