FARI'AH, TALL AL-

ancient site in northern Palestine, located near the head of the Wadi al-Fari'ah northeast of Nabulus in Israeli-occupied Jordan. Excavations at the site, spon sored since 1946 by the Dominican cole Biblique de St. tienne in Jerusalem, have revealed that occupation began during the Chalcolithic Age (c. 4000c. 3000 BC), although no actual structures have been found antedating the beginning of the Early Bronze Age (c. 3200c. 2300). Though the site was massively fortified, it appears to have been deserted from about 2950 to about 1900. Thereafter, it gradually regained its importance, and the succeeding building stages seem to confirm the identification of the site with Tirzah, one of the capitals of northern Israel during the 9th century. The site was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 and was finally abandoned about 600 BC.