Arad

The ancient city of Arad was much larger than the small town that exists today. It dates back as far as 3,000 B.C. putting it in the time of Abraham, probably when he and his family lived in Beersheba, not too far away. 

Joshua defeated the city in his conquest of Canaan and rebuilt it to fortify Israel's southern flank. One of the interesting discoveries at Arad is a temple for worship with characteristics similar to that of Jerusalem. In fact, while the entire temple area is much smaller that what you find in Jerusalem, the altar of sacrifice was the exact dimensions of the altar that Solomon built. 

When Hezekiah purged Israel of its "high places" (2nd Kings 18:22), the worshipers at Arad did not want to tear down their temple or use it for ordinary purposes. Instead, they laid the furniture down neatly, then covered the area with dirt. When it was unearthed thousands of years later, it was a treasure trove for archaeologists.