Yoqne'am-Image of a Livitical city

Yoqne'am is a less known Tel (artificial mound) which sits just outside of the modern Yoqne'am of today near the eastern slop of Mount Carmel in the land of the tribe of Zevulun. The city can be dated to the Early bronze age, and is mentioned in Egyptian writings under the name 'aqne'am. The city sat next to the ancient “Way if the sea” (now rode 70) which was one of the main rods which connected the east and the west.

In Biblical times it was given and one of the cities taken by Joshua:

מֶלֶךְ קֶדֶשׁ אֶחָד, מֶלֶךְ יָקְנְעָם לַכַּרְמֶל אֶחָד

The King of Kedesh, one; the King Yokne’am in Carmel, one; Joshua 12:22

Later on the city became one of the Levitical cities:

וּלְמִשְׁפְּחוֹת בְּנֵי מְרָרִי, הַלְוִיִּם הַנּוֹתָרִים מֵאֵת מַטֵּה זְבוּלֻן, אֶת-יָקְנְעָם וְאֶת מִגְרָשֶׁהָ; אֶת-קַרְתָּה וְאֶת-מִגְרָשֶׁהָ.אֶת-דִּמְנָה וְאֶת-מִגְרָשֶׁהָ, אֶת נַהֲלָל וְאֶת-מִגְרָשֶׁהָ עָרִים אַרְבַּע

They assigned to the Merarite clans the remaining Levites the following cities: from the tribe of Zevulun: Yokne'am, Qartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each a total of four cities Joshua 21:24-35

The city was continually used also by the Byzantines, Muslims and Crusaders.

1. Recunstruction of the ancient city