Examining clay vessels discovered in the ruins of ancient city of Abel Beth Maacah, archaeologists were surprised to find a one-word Hebrew inscription. The Times of Israel reports:

On [one] jar, believed to be a wine vessel, was simply written: “l’Benaya’u,” meaning “belongs to Benaya’u.” But that single word could lead experts to rethink their views on the territory of the ancient kingdom of Israel.

Abel Beth Maacah, mentioned in the Bible, is located just south of Israel’s border with Lebanon, near the modern-day town of Metula. Benaya’u is a Hebrew name analogous to the modern Benayahu. But while the pot is believed to be from the 9th or 10th century BCE, the kingdom of Israel had not previously been thought to stretch so far north during that period.

At the time, Abel Beth Maacah was situated in a liminal zone between three regional powers: the Aramean kingdom based in Damascus to the east, the Phoenician city of Tyre to the west, and the Israelite kingdom, with its capital in Samaria, to the south. Archaeologists had previously believed the area of the town was largely empty during the 10th-9th century BCE, and that it only came under Israelite rule during the 8th century BCE.

The earlier date would suggest an Israelite presence in the city during, or at last closer to, the reigns of David and Solomon.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.