Endnote 6 – Purity and Impurity in Iron Age Israel
In theory, the lack of vessels could indicate that the room was a stable for animals. However, this room was screened by an installation and a row of vessels in the courtyard that prevented easy access. While people could, carefully, pass the barrier and move toward the room, animals would most likely have broken the vessels. Furthermore, the unique surface at the entrance to the room would have been disturbed by animals. Additionally, the room itself lacked any sort of drainage, and the low frequency of phytoliths in it also runs against its identification as a stable. Finally, there were no installations that could feed the animals.