ZOHAR SHEMESH, ISRAEL MUSEUM
Working in Jerusalem’s City of David Archaeological Park, archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority unearthed an unusual chalk limestone box. It measures about 12 inches on a side and is evenly divided into nine square compartments. Its outer surface is slightly charred, likely a result of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. This is the first time that a complete box of this type has been found in Israel.
The box was discovered along Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road, which led from the Siloam Pool to the Temple Mount via the Tyropoeon Valley that separates the City of David from the city’s western hill. Excavations have revealed that in the late Second Temple period (c. 200 BCE–70 CE), this thoroughfare was a vital commercial center lined with shops and bustling with activity. In addition to the chalk box, archaeologists discovered objects ranging from ceramic and glass vessels to coins and stone weights, as well as production and cooking facilities.
Chalk vessels were common in Jewish contexts throughout Judea in the late Second Temple period because, unlike metal or ceramic vessels, they could not become ritually impure. Nevertheless, the purpose of this particular item remains something of a mystery. Based on its discovery within a shop along the Pilgrimage Road, the excavators suggest it may have been used to store or display small goods that were available for purchase.
Working in Jerusalem’s City of David Archaeological Park, archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority unearthed an unusual chalk limestone box. It measures about 12 inches on a side and is evenly divided into nine square compartments. Its outer surface is slightly charred, likely a result of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. This is the first time that a complete box of this type has been found in Israel. The box was discovered along Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road, which led from the Siloam Pool to the Temple Mount via the Tyropoeon Valley that separates the City of David from […]
