Editing Beehive (section)

== Ancient hives ==
In antiquity, [[Egypt|Egyptians]] kept bees in manmade hives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/beekeeping.htm|title=Ancient Egypt: Bee-keeping|work=reshafim.org.il|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309203227/http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/beekeeping.htm|archive-date=2016-03-09}}</ref> The walls of the [[Egyptian sun temple]] of [[Nyuserre Ini]] from the 5th Dynasty, dated earlier than 2422 BCE, depict workers blowing smoke into hives as they remove [[honeycomb]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tophoney.co.uk/best-honey-in-the-world/|title=World Heritage Honey|access-date=2018-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520055516/http://tophoney.co.uk/best-honey-in-the-world/|archive-date=2018-05-20|url-status=dead}}</ref> Inscriptions detailing honey production are found on the tomb of [[Pabasa]] from the 26th Dynasty ({{c.|650 BCE}}), and describe honey stored in jars and cylindrical hives.<ref>[http://www.agropolis.fr/pdf/rencontres-apiculture-2008/pays/Egypte.pdf Apiculture in Egypt, Dr Tarek Issa Abd El-Wahab]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The [[archaeologist]] [[Amihai Mazar]] cites 30 intact hives that were discovered in the ruins of [[Tel Rehov]], located in modern-day Israel. This is evidence that an advanced [[honey]] industry existed in [[Canaan]] approximately 4,000 years ago. The 150 beehives, many broken, were made of straw and unbaked clay. They were found in orderly rows. Ezra Marcus from the [[University of Haifa]] said the discovery provided a glimpse of ancient [[beekeeping]] seen in texts and ancient art from the [[Near East]]. An altar decorated with fertility figurines was found alongside the hives and may indicate religious practices associated with beekeeping. While beekeeping predates these ruins, this is the oldest apiary yet discovered.<ref>{{cite web | last =Gilmour | first =Garth | title =The land of milk and honey ... and bees! | publisher =Jamaica Gleaner | url =http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080223/news/news4.html | format =Web article | access-date =2008-03-18 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080328104004/http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080223/news/news4.html | archive-date =28 March 2008 | url-status =dead }}</ref>