Restored Fortress From the Biblical Judges Era Reopens to Visitors
Gal’on Fortress reopened to visitors on October 29 following restoration and site-development work by Keren Kayemet LeYisrael–Jewish National Fund and the Israel Antiquities Authority in Israel’s Judean Lowlands.
The fortress, located in the Guvrin Forest south of Jerusalem, dates to the 12th century BCE. The latest announcement concerns the preservation and reopening of an excavated site, rather than the discovery of a previously unknown fortress.
The project cost NIS 400,000, according to a TPS-IL report published by IsraelFM. Work included conservation, improved visitor facilities, parking, informational signs and wheelchair-accessible paths. Picnic facilities were also incorporated into the developed site, according to All Israel News.
Archaeologists Saar Ganor and Itamar Weissbein, who excavated the fortress for the antiquities authority, said it occupied a strategic position overlooking a route linking the coastal plain with the Judean Lowlands. They connected its location with a period of competition among Canaanites, Israelites and Philistines.
The researchers suggested that Canaanite or Egyptian authorities may have built the fortress in response to changes in the regional balance of power. Their interpretation places it within the wider political landscape associated with the biblical Book of Judges. It does not identify the fortress with a particular named battle or establish who built it with certainty.
The remains form part of a larger structure used over several centuries. Visitors will encounter the conserved archaeological remains alongside information explaining the site’s historical and cultural setting.
The surrounding Guvrin Forest covers about 4,400 dunams, approximately 1,087 acres, and includes walking trails and picnic areas. KKL-JNF has been developing the forest since 1963. The reopening adds an accessible archaeological destination within that existing recreation area.
Ami Shahar, the antiquities authority’s deputy director-general for conservation, said archaeological work must include preserving excavated remains so future visitors can experience them. KKL-JNF chairman Eyal Ostrinsky similarly emphasized passing the land’s historical heritage to future generations.
The public opening brings together the conservation of an ancient military site and practical improvements for modern visitors. Informational displays will help visitors understand the surviving remains and the archaeological interpretations of the fortress’s possible builders and purpose.
References
All Israel News — October 29, 2026.
allisraelnews/restored-biblical-era-fortress-opens-to-visitors-in-israels-guvrin-forest
TPS-IL / IsraelFM — October 29, 2026.
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