[1][2] According to the Bible, Saul erected a victory monument in Carmel to memorialize his triumph over Amalek.Carmel, in relation to Maon, lies directly to its north, within close proximity.With a lack of market for their wine, the Jewish settlement declined, with the synagogue finally being abandoned in the 9th century.In the Byzantine era, around the 6th or 7th century CE, a church was built here, on the western side of the remains.[13] During the period of the Crusades in the 12-century CE, a castle was built at Carmel under the command of Renaud of Châtillon.