Sulam סוּלַם‎ (Hebrew) سولم (Arabic)
Sulam, seen from Nabi Dahi
Sulam Show map of Jezreel Valley region of Israel Sulam Show map of Israel
Coordinates:32°36′20″N35°20′04″E / 32.60556°N 35.33444°E /32.60556; 35.33444
Grid position	181/223PAL
Country	Israel
District	Northern
Council	Bustan al-Marj
Population  (2023)[1]	2,891

Sulam (Arabic:سولم;Hebrew:סוּלַם)^[2] is anArab village in north-easternIsrael. Known in ancient times asShunama andShunem, it is first mentioned in theAmarna Letters in the 14th century BCE. Archaeological excavations in the village attest to habitation extending from theBronze Age through to modern times. Located nearAfula, it falls under the jurisdiction ofBustan al-Marj Regional Council. In 2023 it had a population of 2,891.^[1]

Sulam has been identified with thebiblical village ofShunem, which is said to be of the tribe ofIssachar, the place where thePhilistines camped beforeSaul's last battle,^[3][4] and the native town ofAbishag,King David's concubine in1 Kings1:3, and of the noble woman whoseson was revived by the prophetElisha in2 Kings4:8.

The village is situated on and around an archaeologicaltell (mound) and developed around the spring.^[6] The core of the village has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt.^[7]

Various archaeological digs undertaken in Sulam have brought to light pottery and other remains from theEarly andMiddle Bronze Age, theIron Age, and most of the following periods:Hellenistic (feebly represented),Roman,Byzantine, Early Muslim (findings from the 7th–10th centuries),Crusader,Mamluk, andOttoman (17th–19th c. findings).^{[8][9][10][11][7][12]} Ahiatus in settlement between the 13th and 19th centuries was observed in one specific area of the tell north of the spring.^[7] Collapsed masonry from the end of the Crusader and beginning of the Mamluk period in the 13th century was documented on the tell.^[7]

In December 2006, a trial excavation was undertaken on the southern slope of the tell, near the spring in the centre of the village, exposing four layers dated to the Early Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman periods.^[12] It uncovered potsherds from the Roman (3rd century), Byzantine, and Early Muslim periods, as well as various finds from the Crusader (12th century), Mamluk (13th–15th centuries), and Ottoman (17th–19th centuries) periods.^[12]

Another excavation, undertaken on the main street of the village and north of the spring at the end of 2007, uncovered building remains from the Early Islamic period (8th–10th centuries) and the late Ottoman period (19th century), as well as aburnt layer from the end of the Crusader and beginning of the Mamluk periods (12th–13th centuries). It also revealed potsherds from the Iron Age,Hellenistic, Byzantine and Roman periods.^[7]

Remains discovered in the village includehiding complexes, tombs, and a church.^[3]

A 2004 salvage excavation exposed Early Bronze Age remains including part of a stone building andpotsherds, covered by Roman-period strata.^[8]

Potsherds from the Middle Bronze Age were unearthed at a 2007 trial excavation.^[11]

In theAmarna letters, 14th century BCEclay tablets written in thecuneiform script of theAkkadian language, the village is listed under its ancient name ofShunama, as one of several cities conquered by theCanaanite warlordLab'ayu in theDothan Valley and southernJezreel Valley.^[13]

A 2007 excavation discovered potsherds from theIron Age.^[11]

Mentioned by the nameSulem in 4th century CE works, such as theOnomasticon ofEusebius, and byJerome, both authors situate it 5Roman miles fromTabor.^[4]

A 2004 salvage excavation unearthed Roman period remains including potsherds, coins, animal bones, and marble fragments.^[8] 3rd-century potsherds were uncovered in the 2006 trial dig.^[12]

The 2006 trial excavation exposed a wall that was probably built before the Early Islamic period.^[12] In 2007 an excavation exposed pottery sherds dated to either the Byzantine or the beginning of the Early Muslim period.^[11] At another dig, two coins were dated to shortly after the Byzantine period, one of which was anArab-Byzantine coin (c. 640–660 CE) that imitates the coins of EmperorConstans II.^{[9][dubious –discuss]}

A 2003 salvage excavation undertaken at the southern end of the village uncovered atabun oven and fragments ofpottery that were dated to the earlyAbbasid period.^[10]

The village was known to theCrusaders (12th century) under the nameSuna.^[14]

A thick burnt layer indicating prolonged activity with fire was exposed next to collapsed stone masonry and was dated to the end of the Crusader and beginning of the Mamluk period. The stratum of burnt earth and ashes has been exposed during various excavations on the tell and can be associated with prolonged activity at akiln or oven.^[7] The 2006 trial excavation also came across a grey layer from the Crusader period.^[12]

A wall and living space from theMamluk period were uncovered during salvage excavations in a private home in August 2006.^[6] The December 2006 trial dig again uncovered building remains from the Mamluk period.^[12]

In 1517 the village was incorporated into theOttoman Empire with the rest of Palestine. During the16th and17th centuries, Sulam belonged to theTurabay Emirate (1517–1683), which encompassed also theJezreel Valley,Haifa,Jenin,Beit She'an Valley, northernJabal Nablus,Bilad al-Ruha/Ramot Menashe, and the northern part of theSharon plain.^[15][16]

Sulam was listed in thetax registers of 1596 as being in thenahiya ofJinin in theliwa ofLajjun, with a population of 26Muslim families. The villagers paid a fixed tax rate of 25% on various agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summecrops, goats and beehives in addition to"occasional revenues"; a total of 8,500akçe.^[17]

The 2006 trial excavation unearthed building remains from the Ottoman period: from the early phase (17th–18th centuries) mainly potsherds, but from the later phase (the beginning of the 19th century) a stone-paved open area yielding, apart from potsherds, a large number of animal bones, indicating an animal-related activity.^[12]

Pierre Jacotin named the villageSoulin on his map from 1799.^[18]Edward Robinson andEli Smith, who visited the village in 1838, describe it as "small and dirty" and its inhabitants as "civil and friendly."^[4] They also recount being approached by theWely of Duhy who offered to take them to the shrine on the mountain, which he said was often visited by monks.^[4]

In 1870–1871 an Ottoman census listed the village in thenahiya (sub-district) of Shafa al-Shamali.^[19] In 1882 thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine (SWP) describes Sulam as, "a large village, standing on a slope near the foot ofJebel ed Duhy ["Mountain of Duhy"]". It further notes that part of the village was built of stone, and that to the west there were shady gardens oflemon-trees. A perennial spring in the west collected in a stone trough was said to have good supply of clear water in September, 1872. What was described as a suburb of mud hovels ran southwards out from the village.^[14]

In the1922 census of Palestine conducted by theBritish authorities,Suolam had a population of 370; 366Muslims and 4Christians,^[20] decreasing in the1931 census to 328, all Muslim, in a total of 85 houses.^[21]

In the1945 statistics the population was 470, all Muslims,^[22] while the total land area was 3,605dunams, according to an official land and population survey.^[23] Of this, 4 dunams were allocated for citrus and bananas, 291 for plantations and irrigable land, 2,041 for cereals,^[24] while 17 dunams were classified as built-up areas.^[25]

• Maharan Radi (born 1982), footballer

• Arab localities in Israel
• Abdel Rahman Zuabi

• Welcome To Sulam (Shunem)
• Survey of Western Palestine, Map 9:IAA,Wikimedia commons

• Bustan al-Marj Regional Council
• Arab villages in Israel
• Populated places in Northern District (Israel)

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• Articles with disputed statements from October 2020
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