Category: Sites

ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNOLOGY USED TO REVEAL HIDDEN OSTRACON INSCRIPTION

A multi-disciplinary team from Tel Aviv University led by Dr. Anat Mendel-Geberovich of the Department of Archaeology used advanced imaging technology to reveal a hitherto unnoticed inscription on a pottery shard. In the 1965 excavations at the First Temple Period Fortress of Tel Arad, the late professor Yohanan Aharoni found several ostraca, some of which were deciphered. The ancient site served as a military outpost on the southern border of the Kingdom of Judah. The ostracon is dated to circa 600 BCE, shortly before the Babylonians destroyed the Kingdom of Judah’s in 586 BCE.

On the verso, the text on the shard mentions money transfers, but the recto was considered blank. With multispectral imaging techniques, the team was able to decipher three lines, comprising 17 words. The letter was addressed to Elyashiv, the quartermaster of the Arad Fortress, and requests wine and food from the warehouses of the fortress for a certain military unit.

IRON AGE-PERSIAN PERIOD RESERVOIR CLOSE TO ROSH HA-‘AYIN

An elongated water cistern was found during an excavation directed by Gilad Itach from the Israel Antiquities Authority at a site located close to the modern city Rosh Ha-‘Ayin. The cistern (20 meters long and more than 4 meters wide) was hewn below a large building that was settled during the Late Iron Age Period and until the Persian Period. On the upper plaster layer graffiti of crosses, human figures and Arabic inscriptions were found. The cistern was part of an administrative farmstead that was built after the Assyrian conquest (721-720 BCE) of the area.

A JEWISH SETTLEMENT FROM THE ROMAN PERIOD AT BEIT NATTIF

A Jewish settlement dating from the Late Second Temple Period to the Bar-Kokhba Revolt was unearthed during rescue excavations directed by Sarah Hirshberg and Shua Kisilevitz from the Israel Antiquities Authority. The site lies some 500 meters to the west of Kh. Beit Nattif. Eight ritual baths, cisterns, and underground hiding complex from the second century Bar-Kokhba Revolt, along with rock-hewn industrial installations were found. The ancient buildings have not survived and their stones were taken to construct buildings in later periods since XXXX. This site is probably the one mentioned in historical sources as a capital of one of the Second Temple Period toparchies of Judea (Josephus, Jewish War, IV, 444–446; Pliny, Natural History, V, 70).

DIETARY HABITS IN JERUSALEM FROM THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD

More than 5,000 animal bones from Second Temple Period landfills from the City of David were analyzed by PhD candidate Abra Sapiciarich, under the supervision of Dr. Yuval Gadot and Dr. Lidar Sapir-Hen from Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology, in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority. The researchers discovered that the Jewish population preferred sheep and goats to chickens and cows, indicative of the dietary habits of Jewish residents in Jerusalem during that time. According to Sapir-Hen, pigeon bones were only found in landfills near the Temple Mount, and not farther away, in landfills from the City of David. This might indicate that pigeons were only used in religious rituals.

A 7TH CENTURY COIN HOARD NEAR JERUSALEM

A hoard of nine Byzantine Period bronze coins was uncovered during a salvage excavation close to ‘Ein Hemed. The excavation, directed by Annette Landes-Nagar from the Israel Antiquities Authority, exposed a large two-storey structure and an adjacent winepress that were part of a large complex, apparently serving Christian pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. The hoard was found near the wall of the building and was probably placed in a cloth purse that was concealed inside a hidden niche. The coins bear the images of three Byzantine emperors: Justinian (483-565 AD), Maurice (539-602 CE) and Phocas (547-610 CE). The hoard was probably hidden there before the Sassanid Persian invasion in 614 CE.

Dr Eitan Klein is the Deputy Director of the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Looting in the Israel Antiquities Authority, an Archaeologist of the classical periods and a Lecturer at the Land of Israel Department at Ashqelon Academic College

This report comes to members of AIAS from Stephen Gabriel Rosenberg, W.F Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem Israel

First Temple Period Seal from Jerusalem

A seal bearing the name Elihana bat Gael was recently unearthed in a large building in the Givati parking lot that was being excavated in the City of David area. It was inscribed in paleo-Hebrew lettering in reverse script and was found with another seal in similar lettering inscribed with the name of Sa’aryahu ben Shabenyahu, a male. Both seals were considered to be about 2,500 years old. Finding such seals is a rarity and finding one of a female is even rarer. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), she must have been an important person who had legal status, “allowing her to conduct business and own property”. In this case, she must have been of a very elevated status as her name is given as the daughter of her father and not as the wife of her husband, which was the more common case.

Ancient Egyptian Amulet Discovered by Young Girl

In the sifting programme organised by Gabriel Barkai, a twelve-year-old girl, Neshama Spielman, has uncovered a rare Egyptian Amulet bearing the name of Thutmose III of the 15th century BCE. Spielman noticed the find as something special as it was on a piece of pottery different from others and handed it over to the experts for further identification. Thutmose III (1479-1425 BCE) is credited with extending Egypt in domination over Canaan and defeating a coalition of Canaanite kings at Megiddo in 1457 BCE according to Barkai.

Second Temple Settlement and Synagogue on the Sea of Galilee

Excavations at Migdal, ancient Magdala, on the western banks of the Kinneret have revealed a two-thousand year old settlement and its synagogue. The site is of the Roman period and of interest to Christians as well as Jews as it was known as the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, who was the first witness of the resurrection of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke. The synagogue contained a number of significant remains including a large stone in the central hall with a carving of the Jerusalem Temple, an inscribed jug and an incense shovel. The site is open to the public and excavation work will continue next season by the IAA with a group of students and volunteers from Mexico.

Return of Egyptian Sarcophagi

A number of ancient wooden coffin lids that were stolen from Egypt, smuggled to Dubai and then taken to London and a shop in the Old City of Jerusalem, have been seized by the IAA and will be returned to Egypt. They have been examined as being authentic and having been cut from ancient coffins, and the IAA will ensure that they are returned to Cairo in the near future. The items were smuggled in 2012, damaged and deliberately cut in half for easier transportation.

Roman Treasure Trove off Caesarea

Divers discovered Roman artefacts in a shipwreck off Caesarea in April 2016. The items included a candlestick devoted to the sun-god Sol and a statue of the moon goddess Luna, as well as vessels for carrying water, all in bronze and excellent condition, having been preserved by a covering of the local sea sand.

The divers will be rewarded by a special citation for reporting their find to the IAA, who will be examining the finds further before displaying them to the public.

Roman Gold Coin Found in Galilee

While hiking in the eastern Galilee, Laurie Rimon, a member of Kibbutz  Kfar Blum, found a rare gold coin, which was only the second gold coin of its type found in the world, according to the IAA to whom Laurie submitted it. According to Donald Ariel head of the IAA Coin Department, the find could indicate the presence of the Roman army in the area two thousand years ago when quelling the Bar-Kochba revolt. Some Roman officers were paid a high salary of three gold coins. The coin shows the symbols of the Roman army with the name of the Emperor Trajan on one side and a portrait of Emperor Augustus deified on the other. The only other known version of the coin is on display in the British Museum in London.

Ancient Glass Kilns Found Near Haifa

During the construction of the Jezreel Valley Railway project, the oldest Israeli kilns were uncovered, which had been used for the manufacture of glass. According to the IAA, the kilns produced glass that was sold throughout the Middle East and was the first-known production of this material. It seems that the sand from the area of Akko was particularly fine and suitable for manufacturing. Gas and chemical analysis has shown that glass items from Europe and in shipwrecks came from this area. The ancient kilns were deemed to be 1,600 years old and the IAA discovered that they contained fragments of raw Judean glass. The kilns date to the late Roman period and indicate that Israel was one of the foremost centres for the production of glass in the ancient world.

These notes have been gathered as a service to the Society, who take no responsibility for its content. 

Stephen Gabriel Rosenberg, W.F Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem

Conference on Work of the P.E.F. in Palestine/Israel

A conference was recently held in Haifa to mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the work of the Palestine Exploration Fund in the country. Prof. David Jacobson reported, “The founders agreed that the new organisation would conduct its activities on scientific principles, abstain from any political controversies and not operate as a religious society.” That is what enabled a unique collaboration between people of different fields, such as Arthur Stanley, Dean of Westminster, George Grove, author of the Grove Dictionary of Music, and Captain Charles Wilson of the Royal Engineers to exist. Biblical Archaeology was then considered a branch of theology, vague and descriptive. Early scholars who came to the Holy Land were not experts in drawing maps or in documenting ancient architecture. The PEF introduced the accuracy of military cartography into this discipline and thus established many standards that we use in modern Archaeology today.”

Funerary Inscriptions in Galilee

Two funeral inscriptions have been found at Tzipori in the Galilee bearing the names of two individuals described as Rabbis, written in Aramaic and Greek, according to Dr. Moti Aviam of the Kinneret College of Galilean Archaeology. The find has been reported by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The names have not yet been deciphered but judging by the calligraphy, they date to the late Roman era of 1700 years ago. Tzipori was the town in which the famous Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi lived, compiled and edited the Mishnah, the comprehensive record of Jewish law and practice. The use of the term Rabbi indicates that the position was recognised and respected by the general population at this early time.

Central Israel Ancient Diet Revealed

Researchers from Tel Aviv University have discovered the diet of ancient hunters living at the Qesem Cave site, a few kilometers outside Tel Aviv. Prof. Avi Gopher said that they had evidence of tortoise bones from fire-pits that were between 200,000 and 400,000 years old. The evidence is that the hunters ate the turtles in several ways and prepared them in different ways. Tortoises had for long been part of man’s diet but this is the first time that evidence of fire had been found. In some cases the tortoises were roasted whole in their shells, in others the shells had been cracked and the animals dismembered and cooked in several different ways. Due to the slow speed of the animals it was possible for children and the elderly to catch the tortoises and thus eating them was more common than was to be expected, According to Prof. Ran Barkai of Tel Aviv University, the sophisticated preparation and cooking of the tortoises. “represents an extraordinary level of biological and cultural evolution in early man.”

Egyptian Beetle Seal Found in Galilee

Amit Haklai, a resident of Tiberias, was hiking on the Karnei Hattin plains west of Tiberias with his children, when he spotted a very small white object in a beetle shape and with carvings on it. He suspected it to be an Egyptian seal and handed it over to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) who identified it as an Egyptian scarab seal of the second millenium BCE. Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor of the Israel Museum identified it as a seal of Thutmose III (1481-1425 BCE) sitting on his throne, with his name in heiroglyphics. This Pharaoh set up administrative control in Canaan and fought several local battles including that of Megiddo. This is the first time that such a seal has been found on the ground in this area, it may have risen to the surface after a rainstorm.  In the Bronze Age a fortified citadel stood in this area, the Horns of Hattin and the scarab can apparently be linked to the period when the citadel existed, according to Yardena Alexander of the IAA.

Chalcolithic Period Homes in Northern Jerusalem

The IAA recently announced the finding of a residential compound at Shuafat neighbourhood in northern Jerusalem, when road building was being undertaken. Remains of the Copper Age, of seven thousand years ago, are extremely rare in the Judean Hills, according to Dr. Omri Barlzilai, “and now for the first time we have discovered in this area significant remains of seven thousand years ago,” he added. The excavation exposes two houses complete with floors, pottery vessels, flints and a basalt bowl, all typical of the period. There were also a few animal bones that allow us to recreate the eating habits of the people, according to Ronit Lupo, who directed the excavations, and who said that “the finds show that there was a thriving settlement here in Jerusalem in ancient times.”

 

Hidden Chamber in Tomb of Tutankhamun?

The Egyptian Antiquities Minister has declared that there are probably hidden passages behind the walls of the tomb and that they may contain the body of Queen Nefertiti, of the 14^th century BCE, presumed to be the stepmother of King Tut, and whose body has never been found. Radar imaging of the tomb has been taken and sent to Japan for analysis. The finding of the Queen’s last resting place would be the most remarkable find of Egyptian archaeology, and it is expected that the results of the Japanese analysis will be available later in February.  The investigation is being led by British archaeologist Nicholas Reeves, who said that the work of the expedition is going well, with the help of Egyptian and Japanese experts.

Collector Arrested for Trying to Sell Ancient Coins

An Israeli coin collector from  a kibbutz in northern Israel in the Gilboa region, was arrested for trying to sell three thousand coins of the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods, which he had amassed and was attempting to sell to Israeli and overseas clients without permission or a licence. Many of the coins had been found by him in the fields around the kibbutz and had been professionally cleaned in a laboratory in his own home. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said the coins should have been declared to them and their sale would violate the cultural heritage of Israel and that if found guilty, the coins would be impounded and the collector might be punished with a five-year prison sentence.

Ancient Terraces Restored after Fire

A major fire five years ago that destroyed forests in the Carmel area, south of Haifa, revealed  two-thousand-year old terraces on the hillside, which are now being restored. The fire also exposed ancient earthenware of the Roman period, of approximately the same age as the terraces. The Keren Kayemet of Israel and the Jewish National Fund are now restoring the forest area but will ensure that the spread of vegetation and trees will be considerably thinner that before and that the danger of fire will be avoided. The terraces will be left exposed to be seen by visitors and other interested parties.

Royal Seal of Hezekiah Discovered

Excavations at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem,  directed by Dr. Eilat Mazar, have uncovered the clay impression of the seal of King Hezekiah,which reads, “Belonging to King Hezekiah (son of) Ahaz King of Judah” and was followed by the symbol of a sun with two wings flanked by ankh symbols representing life. The seal impression was found in a refuse dump that stood next to a royal building used to store foodstuffs. The building was constructed earlier in the time of Solomon, together with a gatehouse and two towers dating to the tenth century BCE. as part of local fortifications. The seal came to light during wet-sifting procedures carried out nearby in the facility directed by Prof. Gabriel Barkai.

Iron-Age Farmhouse Discovered in Central Israel

In Rosh Ha’ayin, fifteen kilometers east of Tel Aviv, during preparations for  new neighbourhood buildings were unearthed a well-preserved farmhouse of approximately 700 BCE.  The farm covered an area of  at least 30m by 50m and its building contained 24 rooms, according to Amit Shadman of the IAA, who is conducting the dig. The buildings included a large storage silo for grains, which were grown and processed in the area. Numerous millstones were found which would have been used to grind the grain into flour, and also oil presses were exposed in simple rock-hewn sites, Two silver coins were also found of the fourth century BCE bearing the likeness of the goddess Athena and the Athenian owl. According to Shadman the farm operated for centuries until abandoned in the Hellenistic period. Many years later, a new settlement wave used the site for a church, a large oil press, residential quarters and stables. The church had floors with coloured mosaics and a Greek inscription stating that “This place was built under Theodosius the priest. Peace be with you when you come and peace be with you when you go, Amen”.  Later again a lime kiln was built here in the Ottoman period. In view of the number of important finds, the ancient remains will be preserved in situ and will be installed in the communal areas of the neighbourhood development and will be carefully displayed and open to the public.

Late Bronze Age Complex Unearthed in Nahariya

As a high-rise block of flats was being built on the seashore in Nahariya, north of Haifa, the remains of a so-called citadel were uncovered. The IAA directors saw it as an administrative centre for sailors who sailed the area over three thousand years ago. It contained rooms with ceramic figurines, with foreign weapons and pottery vessels, attesting to relations with Cyprus and others of the Mediterranean lands. It also acted as a fortress and was destroyed at least four times by fire and was always rebuilt. There was evidence of an abundance of cereal, grape and vegetable seeds that the sailors would have had access to. The remains will be preserved and according to the architect Alex Shpol, will be incorporated into the basement levels of the new beachside residential tower by the Kochav Company Ltd, the developers.

 Stephen Gabriel Rosenberg,

W.F Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem