Dothan, Archaeological site near Jenin, Palestine

Dothan is a broad, low mound of earth and stone beside Bir al-Basha, about 10 km southwest of Jenin. Its rough surface is covered with scrubby vegetation and loose stones, divided by a shallow terrace, with a band of light-coloured rubble along the base. No walls or inscriptions are visible on the mound itself.

Settlement at the location began in the Early Bronze Age and continued through many centuries as successive empires and peoples left their mark. In the medieval period, Crusaders built a tower on the mound, indicating the site retained strategic importance in later times.

Dothan appears in Genesis as the place where Joseph's brothers sold him to Ishmaelite merchants, and in 2 Kings as Elisha's residence, where fiery chariots surrounded the mountain. Excavations at Tell Dothan found the Abisur Bulla, a Hebrew seal impression from the late 9th or early 8th century BCE, the first known mention of that personal name.

The location sits at a junction of historic trade routes connecting northern and southern regions of the broader territory. Visiting requires no special preparations, though sturdy shoes and sufficient water are advisable since the surroundings are open and largely undeveloped.

The Crusaders built a tower on the tell in 1156 and called it Castellum Beleismum, or Chastiau St Job in medieval French; it passed to the Hospitallers in 1187. The name is often given as Castellum Belismum, but the Latin sources spell it Beleismum.