Situated on a hill 2 kms south of the southern entrance of Jenin, it is believed that this site was first settled in the Early Bronze age (about 3000 BC) and remained in use until the Ottoman period. The site is known in historical records by different names: Ibleam in the Egyptian texts and the Bible, and Belemoth in the Greek sources. It seems that Balamah was an important royal city already during the Bronze and Iron Ages. It is one of the ancient Canaanite cities named in the list of Thutmosis IIIs conquests in the Al Amarneh scripts of the 14 century BC. It maintained its importance during the later periods, especially the Roman and Byzantine periods. In the Crusader and Ayyubid periods the site had a small castle and a small mosque. The mosque, called the Mosque of Sheikh Mansour, is still in use today, and lies on top of the Tell.
The site dominates the south-western plain of rich agricultural fields and the northern plain which is the southern border of Marj Bin Amer (the most fertile plain in Palestine) before the city of Jenin was built. Nearby is Wadi Balamah which constitutes the main water source. The area is quite green and well kept. The south-eastern mountain is covered with pine trees and separated by the valley from the Jenin-Nablus highway. The summit of the site and its slopes are covered with vineyards, almond and olive groves. Some small fields are cultivated with grain. Several houses are scattered on the eastern slope, and the western edge of the site belongs to the present village by the same name, Balamah. The water tunnel is a massive work hewn in the limestone of the surrounding hills, similar to the water tunnel of nearby Megiddo. Several edifices near the tunnel's lower entrance were recently excavated, most of them dating to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. The tunnel shaft is the most elaborate feature in Balameh. The tunnel was built to ensure safe access to the water source at the foot of the eastern edge of the site. The excavation of the tunnel, which is not yet completed, indicates that it is one of the largest in Palestine. On the eastern slope there are many cisterns and tombs belonging to the Roman Period.
In 1996/97 the Palestinian department of Antiquities excavated
the lower parts of the tunnel of Balamah and the entrance buildings. In
1998, a joint Dutch-Palestinian excavation project was commenced in the
area. The first season started in 98, the second in 1999 and the third
is currently under way (3 of June - 7 of July.) A joint Palestinian-Dutch
team of archaeologists and students are participating aiming to define
ancient human settlement nodes in the area extending from Dothan plain
until Marj Bin Amer. The tunnel is also undergoing renovation work to become
a tourist attraction site in the future.