Migdal Afek

Migdal Afek is a fortified hilltop settlement near Rosh HaAyin that overlooks an ancient passageway. The site contains layered ruins from different periods, including carved stone wine presses, building foundations, and storage facilities.

During the Second Temple period, this Jewish settlement held strategic importance until Roman forces destroyed it in 67 CE during the Great Revolt. Multiple construction phases visible at the site show the location was rebuilt and repurposed across subsequent centuries.

The archaeological findings at Migdal Afek reveal ancient agricultural practices, burial customs, and settlement patterns of Jewish communities through different periods.

The site is open to visitors with marked trails connecting different areas and making navigation straightforward through the ruins. Allow adequate time to examine individual structures carefully, as each layer of ruins reveals different details about settlement patterns and daily life.

The fortress controlled a narrow passage where one of antiquity's most important trade routes once passed through the region. This corridor linked Egypt to Mesopotamia, making the location a crossroads where cultures and commerce intersected.