Stone vessels in ancient Judaea
In Judea, their use was traditionally thought to have ceased after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, but discoveries in places like Jericho and Shuafat indicate their continued use until the Bar Kokhba revolt.
These stone vessels were found in all regions densely populated by Jews, often in settlements featuring ritual baths, serving as a significant indicator of Jewish presence from the early Roman period through the Byzantine era.
These workshops were located near Jerusalem (Mount Scopus and Hizma), in the Galilee (Einot Amitai and Reineh), and in the Golan Heights (Wadi es-Sufera).
These workshops operated within caves where craftsmen quarried chalk (soft limestone) and crafted stone vessels using manual techniques or lathes.
Their use in Judea was originally thought to have ceased after the destruction of the Second Temple, though through their discovery in such Jewish sites as those in Jericho and Shuafat, it became clear that their use continued until the Bar Kokhba revolt.
[4] It is widely accepted that during the Second Temple period, and especially after the founding of the Hasmonean state in Judaea, there began a dramatic increase in the awareness and practice of the laws of purity among Jews.
The biblical book of Leviticus lists the substances which become impure when they come in contact with a dead animal:When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth.
[7]The book of Numbers further lists other materials, including metals, which become impure when they come in contact with human remains:Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.
[14] Vessels of this type were of small proportions, these included bowls of different forms and sizes, mugs from the Galilee, goblets on trumpet-shaped bases,[15] and lids.
[18][15] The Qalals or kraters were large round chalice shaped basins for storing liquid, possibly water, which corroded the inside of these vessels to some degree.
[15] Another vessel turned on the large lathe was the barrel-shaped "cooking pot", with a height and maximum diameter of 30 cm, it usually had two shelf-like handles located on the upper portion of the body.
[15] As of 2019, archaeological excavations have revealed Jewish stone vessel assemblages at over 250 sites across various regions, including Judea, the Galilee, the Golan Heights, Idumea, and Transjordan.
[21] A survey and excavation led by Sharya Fridman further identified twelve sites with stone vessel assemblages, including a workshop for their production.
[22] Across the Transjordan region, fragments of stone vessels have been discovered within the confines of the Jewish-settled Peraea, while a significant assemblage was found in Tel Zar'ah, near Gadara, aligning with historical accounts of Jewish presence in these areas according to Josephus.
[21][23] Despite being predominantly inhabited by pagans, the coastal region of Israel has yielded stone vessels in various locations such as Dor, Caesarea, Aphek (Antipatres), Jaffa, Nahalat Yehuda (Rishon LeZion), Kh.
The absence of stone vessels at Samaritan sites contrasts sharply with their presence in Sebastia, suggesting the Jewish heritage in the latter during the pagan era.
