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Concept
Tulul adh-Dhahab
Summary
The Tulul adh-Dhahab (Arabic: تلول الذهب; lit. "the hills of gold") is an archaeological site in Jordan. The site features two neighboring tells, separated by the Zarqa River (the biblical River Jabbok), an affluent of the Jordan River. The two tells are commonly identified with the ancient Israelite cities of Mahanaim and Penuel, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
The western of the twin tells was populated at least from Late Bronze Age to Late Antiquity, maybe beginning as early as the Neolithic period. After the collapse of the ancient buildings probably by an earthquake in Late Antiquity, the site was abandoned. Maybe because of its name in Arabic, some parts of the western hill are severely damaged due to recent looting.
The double hills (hence the plural 'Tulūl', proper: dual 'Tellan' rather than the singular 'Tell') are situated in the Zarqa River valley at the opening of the southern Wadi Hajjaj. The two twin-like hills, both of them bearing ruins, are both approximately 120m above the riverbed and forcing the Zarqa River on a winding course around them. The western and larger of the twin tells (Tell edh-Dhahab al-Gharbi) is located on the north side of the U-shaped meander of the Zarqa River. The eastern mound (Tell edh-Dhahab esh-Sharqi) is a lot smaller.
Until the 20th century the twin hills obstructed the way to the Zarqa valley heading east. Ancient hikers had to dodge the way into the Zarqa valley and head to the Wadi Hajjaj, the shortest way to settlement area of the Ammonites. That is the reason why the Tulul adh-Dhahab had, until the construction of the Roman road at the exit of Wadi az-Zarqa in Jordan Valley near the present village of Abu Zighan, a high strategic importance. 6.5 kilometers west of the Tulul adh-Dhahab there is the large Tell of Deir Alla, dating to the Bronze and Iron Age, commonly identified with the biblical city of Sukkot.
Tulul adh-Dahab is identified with several place names mentioned in ancient sources.
Up until 1970, biblical scholars identified the whole site (or one or other of the twin peaks) with the biblical city of Penuel.
Official source
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