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Israel Museum

Elegantly curved palmettes flank a central triangle on a capital discovered at the Ramat Raḥel palace. Ten such capitals, called Proto-Ionic or Proto-Aeolic, were recovered at the site. The capitals are one of the most beautiful decorative elements on royal buildings from the kingdoms of Judah and Israel from the tenth to the eighth century B.C.E. Although such capitals have been found at numerous sites, the ones at Ramat Raḥel are the most elegant and apparently the latest. Several replicated capitals greet visitors to the site today.