Tel Taninim

Tel Taninim,[1] also known as Crocodeilopolis[2] or Crocodilopolis[1][3] is an ancient tell (archaeological mound), located near to the mouth of Nahal Taninim, in the vicinity of modern town of Jisr az-Zarka in Israel.[1] The location's name derives from the Nahal Taninim stream, which in Hebrew means the river of crocodiles, referring to Nile crocodiles, which used to reside in the river and nearby swamps until the beginning of the 20th century.

Tel Taninim, at the mouth of Nahal Taninim stream

The site became first inhabited in the Hellenistic era, established in the 4th century BCE,[3] and continued to exist until the end of the Byzantine period. A Roman period road is passing near the location of the city remains. The Byzantine city was probably destroyed by Arab armies in 636. The tell also includes a tower, a pool and an aqueduct from the Crusader period - the only remains from the Crusader castle of Turris Salinarum (Salt Tower), Burj al-Malih in Arabic. Researchers suppose that the site was utilize for salt production, giving its name to the Crusader castle. The site became abandoned again during the late Middle Ages.

In 1834, during Muhammad Ali's rule over the region, the Arab village of Jisr az-Zarka was founded in the vicinity of the tell. Later in the Ottoman era, a bridge was built near the tell in 1898 crossing above the Crocodiles river, as part of preparations towards the visit of the German Emperor Wilhelm II,[1] who requested to pass with his convoy from Haifa to Jerusalem over the coastline.

Archaeological survey of the tell, had not been performed until 1975. In 2004, additional archaeological surveys were made at the site. Nowadays, the access to the tell passes via Jisr a-Zarka village (the Blue Bridge in Arabic).