Image Details
Tsila Sagiv/Israel Dept. of Antiquities and Museums
A blocking stone, in situ. The meter stick below the stone informs us that this blocking stone at Khirbet el-Bas is about .7 by .6 meters, or 27 inches by 23 inches. The stone covers a slightly smaller burrow entrance. Note that, unlike tombs, which were blocked from the outside, burrows were blocked from the inside. Thus the Jewish defenders could barricade themselves in a section of underground burrow, Sometimes the sealing stones were locked into place by a beam and bolt or wedged tightly by additional stone supports.