Tell el-Maqlub

Tell el-Maqlub is commonly identified with biblical town of Jabesh Gilead.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} This identification is thought to be in accordance with the account of Eusebius, who described "Iabeis Galaad" in the 4th century CE as a "village beyond the Jordan located on the mountains six miles from the city of Pella on the road to Gerasa."^[6]

Some biblical scholars, including Nelson Gluck, preferred to place Jabesh-Gilead in Tell Abu el-Kharaz, located further east along the Wadi Yabis. This identification is based on the account given in Book of Samuel, which mentions Jabesh as being a night's march away from Beit She'an.^[7]

Tell el-Maqlub was once surrounded by a massive defensive wall, parts of it are still visible today.^[7] Potsherds from the Early Bronze Age (I-II), Middle Bronze Age (I-IIA), Iron Age (I-II) and Roman-Byzantine periods were found here.^[7]

Based on archeological surveys conducted at the site, Tell el-Maqlub was a large, fortified town during the Iron Age, and when the nearby hills were first terraced for agriculture.