Khirbet Abu Samara

Khirbet Abu Samara, also known as Horvat Shmarya (Hebrew: חורבת שמריה) is an archaeological site in the northwestern Negev, Israel. It is situated between Mishmar HaNegev and Highway 25. The site is named after Nabi Samara, a Bedouin saint who is believed to have been buried there. The site features underground construction, maybe from the Chalcolithic period, and the remains of a Byzantine settlement. During the Mandatory period (1917–1948) a small Bedouin settlement existed on the site, which was evacuated by Israeli authorities in 1951. The site has been damaged by looting and in 2025 the Israel Antiquities Authority has conducted a community excavation at the site along with the Bnei Shimon Regional Council.

Archaeological site data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).