▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁Yam had ▁and ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" City ▁of ▁Had ad ". ▁The ▁temple ▁remained ▁in ▁use ▁from ▁the ▁ 2 4 th ▁century ▁BC ▁to ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁as ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁relief s ▁discovered ▁at ▁it ▁during ▁exc av ations ▁by ▁German ▁arch ae ologist ▁Kay ▁K ohl me yer . ▁ ▁The ▁proph et ▁Abraham ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁mil ked ▁his ▁sheep ▁on ▁the ▁cit adel ▁hill . ▁After ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁Ne o - H itt ite ▁state ▁cent red ▁in ▁Ale ppo , ▁the ▁Ass y ri ans ▁domin ated ▁the ▁area ▁( 8 th – 4 th ▁century ▁BC ), ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁Ne o - B ab yl oni ans ▁and ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁( 5 3 9 – 3 3 3 ). ▁ ▁Sele uc id ▁period ▁ ▁After ▁Ale ppo ▁was ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁arm ies ▁of ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great , ▁Ale ppo ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁Sele uc us ▁I ▁Nic ator , ▁who ▁under to ok ▁the ▁rev ival ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁B ero ia . ▁Med ieval ▁Arab ▁histor ians ▁say ▁that ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁cit adel ▁as ▁a ▁fort ified ▁ac ropol is ▁began ▁under ▁Nic ator . ▁In ▁some ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁cit adel ▁there ▁are ▁up ▁to ▁two ▁meters ▁of ▁remains ▁of ▁H ellen istic ▁settlement . ▁A ▁col onn aded ▁street ▁led ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁cit adel ▁hill ▁from ▁the