Tzur Natan

Tzur Natan (Hebrew: צוּר נָתָן, lit. 'Rock of Nathan') is a moshav shitufi in central Israel. Located in western Samaria on a hilltop 170 m above sea level, on a ridge in the foothills of the Samarian Hills and to the south of Tayibe,^[2][3] it falls under the jurisdiction of Drom HaSharon Regional Council. In 2023 it had a population of 277.^[1]

Tzur Natan צוּר נָתָן
Tzur Natan
Coordinates: 32°14′25″N 35°0′42″E
Country	Israel
District	Central
Council	Drom HaSharon
Affiliation	Mishkei Herut Beitar
Founded	1966
Founded by	Nahal
Population  (2023)[1]	277

History

The moshav was founded in 1966 as a Nahal settlement by Hashomer Hatzair members, and was named after Nathan Simons. It was civilianised a year later by former members of the Beitar youth group.

In 2017 a minority of Tzur Natan families agreed to sell their land to a natural gas and diesel power station to be constructed by Edeltech only meters from the Arab Israeli city of Tira.

Archaeology

Excavations at Tzur Natan between 1989 and 1994 revealed a large Byzantine-period complex identified as a Samaritan synagogue. The building, oriented toward Mount Gerizim, included a main hall with an apse, narthex, atrium, and benches along the side walls, as well as several miqva'ot.^[4] Finds such as a menorah engraving on a basalt stone and oil lamps decorated with menorahs, together with literary evidence for a Samaritan presence in the area in the 5th century CE, led the excavators to attribute the synagogue to the Samaritans.^[4]

A dedicatory mosaic by the entrance mentions the village of Antesion, thought to be the ancient name of the site. A coin of Justin II (565–578 CE) found in the fill dates the synagogue to the late 6th century.^[4] The building appears to have been converted into a church before its final abandonment in the 8th century. To the west, excavators uncovered more than twenty rooms with oil presses, flour mills, and a wine press, which they interpreted as an agricultural and industrial complex belonging to the Samaritan community.^[4]

In 2019 a 5th-century mosaic with Greek inscription found at an ancient wine press. The inscription reads, "Only God help the beautiful property of Master Adios, amen." Adios was a wealthy Samaritan landowner.^[5]