[3] Remains from the Early Bronze Age, Persian, Roman and Byzantine eras have been found.

[4][5] Mashhad is located on the site of Gath-hepher, an ancient Israelite town mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the home of Jonah; its supposed tomb is still pointed out by locals.

[6] Archaeological findings in Mashad include a third-century Aramaic gravestone, indicating Jewish settlement at the site during the Late Roman period, and a stone inscribed with Greek letters now reused in Mashad's mosque.

[8][9] A map from Napoleon's invasion of 1799 by Pierre Jacotin showed the place, named as El Mecheb.

[13] In 1881, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described Meshed as "A small village, built of stone, surrounding the traditional tomb of Jonah -a low building surmounted by two white-washed domes.