an . ▁The ▁Phil ist ine ▁settlement ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁situated ▁south west ▁of ▁the ▁exc av ation ▁site ; ▁its ▁remains ▁are ▁hidden ▁under ▁large ▁sand ▁d unes . ▁Five ▁p its ▁d ug ▁into ▁the ▁Late ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁layers ▁and ▁containing ▁Phil ist ine ▁pot tery ▁are ▁among ▁the ▁few ▁find ings ▁from ▁that ▁period . ▁ ▁The ▁arch ae ological ▁exc av ations ▁at ▁the ▁Egypt ian - period ▁site ▁were ▁executed ▁between ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁during ▁Israel ' s ▁occupation , ▁and ▁head ed ▁by ▁Tru de ▁D oth an . ▁After ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁the ▁exc av ations ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁far ming ▁purposes ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁covered ▁by ▁veget able ▁gard ens ▁and ▁fruit ▁orch ards ▁while ▁the ▁main ▁find ings ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁Isra eli ▁museum s ▁like ▁the ▁Israel ▁Museum ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁and ▁the ▁He cht ▁Museum ▁in ▁Ha ifa . ▁ ▁Similar ▁cultural ▁development ▁is ▁also ▁att ested ▁at ▁T all ▁al - A j j ul ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁also ▁in ▁the ▁Gaz a ▁strip . ▁ ▁By z antine ▁period ▁During ▁By z antine ▁rule , ▁the ▁first ▁herm itage ▁in ▁Palest ine ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁Christian ▁mon k ▁H ilar ion ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁modern - day ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah . ▁H ilar ion ▁initially ▁built ▁a ▁small ▁h ut ▁there , ▁but ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Constant ius