ISRAEL: Archaeologists unearth temple and figurines near Jerusalem

Record ID: 397636

  • Title: ISRAEL: Archaeologists unearth temple and figurines near Jerusalem
  • Date: 26th December 2012
  • Summary: TEL MOTZA, ISRAEL (DECEMBER 26, 2012) (REUTERS) OUTSKIRTS OF JERUSALEM / ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE WORKERS ON SITE VARIOUS OF WORKERS DIGGING AND CLEANING IN SITE ARCHAEOLOGIST ANNA ARLICH IN ISRAEL'S ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY WALKING ARLICH HOLDING FIGURINES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANNA ARLICH, ARCHAEOLOGIST IN ISRAEL'S ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY, SAYING: "This, it's remains of cultic a
  • Embargoed: 10th January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Business,History
  • Reuters ID: LVAEIC3SLEFPRXHADT0TZLAQ4V83
  • Story Text: Israeli archaeologists said on Wednesday (December 26) they have unearthed finds on the outskirts of Jerusalem dating back to Biblical times.
    The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said during excavations at the Tel Motza archaeological site, a maze-like construction was unearthed along with a cache of sacred vessels some of them, 2,750 years old.
    The cache included some unique figurines providing rare testimony of a ritual cult in the Jerusalem region at the beginning of the period of the monarchy, the IAA said.
    "This, it's remains of cultic activity in settlement from Judea kingdom in the time the first temple was already existed. And here we near Jerusalem, we have daily working in the temple, and still we find some kind of cultic activity, another temple with altar," said IAA archaeologist Anna Arlich.
    She added the finds were especially unique since there are hardly any remains dating back to the time of the First Temple.
    "Here we're talking about 10th, 9th century B.C and we have little, very little evidence of any cultic activities from Judea kingdom. We have maybe two, three other places but we don't have found temple from 10th or 9th century. And what is more exciting and more difficult is that this is so close to Jerusalem, so close to the actual temple from the Temple Mount," she said.
    The site of the excavations, Tel Motza, is located just down the main highway from Jerusalem towards Tel Aviv. Several discoveries have been made at the site in past excavations, including the site of a public building, a large structure with storehouses, and a considerable number of silos.
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