Description : Tel Zayit (Hebrew: תל זית, Arabic: Tell Zeita, Kirbat Zeita al Kharab) is an archaeological tell in the Shephelah, or lowlands, of Israel, about 30 km east of Ashkelon. The place was inhabited from the Late Bronze Age to the Mamluk period in Palestine . The prevailing opinion among the archaeological community is that the settlement reached its peak as early as the end of the Late Bronze Age, and included an area of over 30 dunams , which indicates economic prosperity at that time. The ceramic finds at the site support the assumption that the place was not inhabited by a Philistine From at least the 16th century until some time during the 20th century, the site was occupied by the Arab village Zayta. During the period of the British mandate, the village moved 1.5 km to the north. It was depopulated in 1948.
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