Archaeological investigation uncovers extended multiperiod occupation at Sheikh Sha‘leh, highlighting its long-overlooked role in regional religious and architectural history.
Located in northern Palestine, the site of Sheikh Sha‘leh preserves impressive architectural remains, yet it has long remained peripheral to the major excavation campaigns conducted at Samaria-Sebaste, situated on the neighbouring hill. Although rediscovered at an early date, it has been mentioned only sporadically by travellers and scholars. Nevertheless, the site was occupied for a long period, from the Hellenistic to the Ottoman era. While no longer visible, it is known — on the basis of an inscription reused in later constructions — to have once housed a church dedicated to the biblical prophet Elijah. Through a historiographical analysis of the site and its principal remains, this paper offers a preliminary overview undertaken within the framework of the new Franco-Palestinian Archaeological Mission at Sheikh Sha‘leh.
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Vié et al. (2026) studied this question.
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