Khirbat Balu’a, Jordan — Archaeologists have uncovered a multi-phase sanctuary at Khirbat Balu’a, a prominent site overlooking the northern edge of the central Moabite Plateau, east of the Dead Sea. The discovery sheds new light on ritual activity spanning from the Iron Age to the Nabataean-Roman period, suggesting that this sacred site was reused and reinterpreted by successive cultures over centuries.
Sacred Ground Through the Ages
Khirbat Balu’a is one of the largest archaeological sites in the region, covering an area of approximately 12,500 square meters. Its monumental Iron Age structures underscore the site’s strategic and cultural significance during that period. Excavations led by Dr. Friedbert Ninow of Theologische Hochschule Friedensau (Germany) since 2008 have now shifted focus from solely Iron Age remains to exploring the site’s full occupational history.
The recent investigation was prompted by evidence of illegal digging east of a large Iron Age complex known as the Quseir. Surface finds included Nabataean-Roman ceramic sherds and exposed architectural elements, signaling deeper layers of religious or civic activity.
The Altar and Temenos Complex
Excavation revealed the remains of a rectangular stone structure, interpreted as a ritual altar, originally measuring about 3.2 meters per side. The structure was later modified with hewn stones, fieldstone fill, and plaster coating—some fragments bearing remnants of colored pigments.
Subsequent phases introduced a stairway on the north side and a small podium in front of the western wall. Ashes and animal bones found in the vicinity suggest ritualistic or sacrificial use during the Nabataean-Roman period. Similar altars have been documented at major Nabataean religious centers like Petra and Khirbet et-Tannur, reinforcing the ceremonial nature of the find.
Echoes of the Iron Age
Near the podium, archaeologists unearthed a carved basalt sculpture, of which only the feet remain. The statue likely once stood 70–80 cm high and is thought to date back to the Iron Age, based on stylistic analysis—making it a rare example of Moabite stone sculpture.
In addition, a volute-like basalt carving set into the southern podium wall bears striking resemblance to architectural elements found at Khirbat Al Mudaybi, approximately 40 kilometers to the south. That site is associated with late 8th to early 7th century BCE Moabite architecture.
Dr. Ninow suggests that the altar and associated features may have been part of a temenos—a walled sacred precinct—marked by a stone-paved floor and Iron Age-era boundary walls.
Nabataean Repurposing of Ancient Sacred Sites
A test excavation in the southeastern corner of the site uncovered pottery and paving stones consistent with Nabataean-Roman occupation. This indicates the Nabataeans may have repurposed earlier Iron Age structures when constructing their sanctuary.
“If our interpretation of the altar and temenos is correct, this would represent a second Nabataean sanctuary at Balu’a, alongside the previously known site at Al Qasr to the west,” said Ninow.
Cover Photo: Remains of the Moabite citadel at Khirbet Balu’a on the Karak Plateau in the central Jordan (Photo courtesy of ACOR)
