The Historical, Cultural, and Strategic Significance of Mount Hermon: An Interdisciplinary Analysis

Mount Hermon, situated at the junction of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, is one of the most archaeologically and symbolically significant highland regions in the Near East. This study synthesises a comprehensive range of archaeological evidence from the prehistoric through modern periods to reveal the mountain’s enduring cultural, religious, and strategic roles. Drawing on landscape archaeology, cultural ecology, and symbolic archaeology, the research identifies Mount Hermon as a dynamic space where sacred ritual, subsistence adaptation, and military control intersected over millennia. Findings reveal continuous human activity, including Palaeolithic habitation, Neolithic agricultural development, Bronze and Iron Age sanctuaries, Roman religious and administrative sites, and medieval Islamic and Crusader fortifications. Despite modern geopolitical tensions impeding extensive excavation, Mount Hermon continues to offer valuable insights into the longue durée of Near Eastern archaeology. The paper concludes with a call for regional collaboration, digital conservation, and renewed excavation efforts to protect and better understand this exceptional cultural landscape.