Wadi al-Far'a (river)

Josephus names a place of crossing near the confluence of the watercourse Naḥal Yabok with the Jordan River, not far from Wadi al-Far'a, known in classical antiquity as Coreae (Greek: Κορέας), and where is now the "Old Roman Bridge" (Arabic: Mukatta' Damieh), which once marked, in Josephus' words, "the first entrance into Judea when one passes over the midland countries."[3][4][5] The site is listed in the 6th century Madaba map, and whose location agrees with the modern identification of Tell el-Mazar.[6]

Bypassing Pella and Scythopolis he came to Coreae, where travelers from the interior cross into Judaea.[7]

The village of Wadi al-Far'a is close to a number of Heavy Neolithic archaeological sites of the Qaraoun culture. Three such sites were discovered there by Francis Turville-Petre between 1925 and 1926. These are Wadi Farah, Shemouniyeh, and an occupational site at Wadi Sallah. The site at Wadi Farah was identified as a flint factory on a high terrace at the meeting point with the Wadi Salhah. Large numbers of massive flint tools and debris were found and linked to this little known culture. Tools found included picks, adzes, borers and flake scrapers.[8][9]

An archaeological mound situated near the village of Wadi al-Far'a, Tell el-Far'ah (North), has been identified as the location of biblical Tirzah. The tell has occupation layers from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. It is called Tell el-Far'ah (North) in order to distinguish it from Tell el-Far'ah (South), an archaeological site south of Gaza.