Kabri, Israel 3.97

Kabri is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Western Galilee about 4km east of the Mediterranean seaside town of Nahariya, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council. In it had a population of.HistoryPrehistoryThe area of Kabri springs was first settled 16,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period. Permanent structures appeared around the year 10000 BCE. Archaeological digs uncovered the remains of an ancient city. The city was built around the year 2500 BCE and its territory ranged over 32ha, which were surrounded by dirt embankments 7m high and 35m thick, on which were built guard towers.The ancient city that existed 1km to the south-west is known to archaeologists as Tel Kabri, though its Canaanite name is not known. It was a city-state in the heart of which was placed the palace of the ruling monarch. The two-story palace was decorated with colorful frescoes and ornaments in Minoan style. Residents of the city (their number is estimated at 5,000) earned their living through agriculture and international commerce. Leftover bits and pieces of merchandise whose origins lay in Egypt, Turkey and Crete were found in the ruins and in graves during the excavations. The city was connected to a port on the coast, apparently the one under Achziv. The city-state was completely abandoned around the year 1600 BCE for unknown reasons.