Dayr Dibwan - دير دبوان: Khirbet et-Tell (or Tel Ai) is just northwest of Deir Dibwan and 3 km southeast of Beitein -- more about it in the comments section -- click the image to enlarge

Khirbet et-Tell (also known as et-Tell) is an archaeological mound located in the West Bank, roughly 7 kilometers east of Ramallah and immediately adjacent to the Palestinian village of Deir Dibwan.

Key Details

? Biblical Identification: Most mainstream archaeologists have traditionally identified et-Tell with the biblical city of Ai (the ruin in Hebrew, matching the Arabic et-Tell meaning "heap of ruins").
? Chronological Discrepancy: While the biblical narrative places the destruction of Ai by Joshua during the Bronze Age (~1400 BCE), excavations show et-Tell was a major fortified Canaanite city between 3300?2400 BCE (Early Bronze I?III). It sat abandoned for over a thousand years before an unfortified Iron Age I village appeared around 1200?1050 BCE.
? Alternative Sites: Because et-Tell lacks Late Bronze Age occupation layers, alternative candidates for biblical Ai have been proposed and excavated nearby?most notably Khirbet el-Maqatir (located about 1 kilometer west of et-Tell).
? Geography: The site sits at an elevation of roughly 855 meters on the desert fringe of the historical territory of Benjamin, east of Bethel.
Would you like more information on the archaeological history of et-Tell, or the debate surrounding Khirbet el-Maqatir?