1,200-year-old relic discovered near ancient synagogue in southern Israel

Researchers say the ancient clay jug unearthed in the Yatir Forest, near a Byzantine-era synagogue, testifies to the importance of camels to the area under Abbasid rule.

By World Israel News Staff

A rare and impressive red-painted clay jug featuring camel decorations that was used for the storage of liquids was uncovered in excavations at Horvat Anim in the Yatir Forest on the northern edge of the Negev Desert.

During renewed archaeological excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists discovered the approximately 1,200-year-old jug in a cave that had been converted into a dwelling.

Originally, the cave served as an impressive underground olive press for oil production. The excavations were part of a project, initiated by the Jewish National Fund, to develop the site for visitors.

The olive press, along with an ancient synagogue from the Byzantine period previously discovered at the site, has undergone extensive conservation work by experts from the Conservation Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“The fact that the artists chose to depict two camels on the jug underscores their significance during the Abbasid period—the 9th-10th centuries CE. Camels were a key means of land transport for moving goods and were therefore crucial to the economy,” Oren Shmueli, Dr. Davida Eisenberg-Degen, and Dr. Anat Cohen-Weinberger of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Dr. Katia Cytryn from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a joint statement.

The ancient synagogue, which underwent extensive restoration by the conservation experts of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was originally discovered 40 years ago in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Avshalom Institute. Among the finds were impressive mosaic floor remains, attesting to the site’s rich history and the importance attributed to it by the local community.

“Around 1,500 years ago, the Yatir region was part of an area known as the ‘Daroma,’ where Jewish and Christian communities lived side by side,” explained Dr. Oren Shmueli of the IAA. “There is no doubt that the synagogue discovered in Anim served as the religious center for the Jewish population living there.”

The olive press, built in a cave deep underground and approximately 1,300 years old (from the Early Islamic period), was fully excavated last year.

The excavation revealed two massive stones that were part of the press mechanism. While in use, a wooden screw was installed between them that was used to press olives and extract oil that was collected in a central stone basin within the press.

“The uniqueness of the olive press in Yatir Forest lies in its well-organized and advanced construction for its time. Essentially, it was an ancient factory equipped with a sophisticated and expensive machine for its era,” said Shmueli.

The newly discovered ceramic jug had been used for storing liquids. It was decorated with geometric patterns painted in red and featured illustrations of a caravan of animals, including a camel and possibly even an ostrich—the so-called “winged camel”—or a donkey.

“In the Early Islamic period, camels served as the primary mode of transportation,” Shmueli said. “The fact that camels appear in the jug’s illustrations highlights their significance at the time. Camels transported goods across the empire and were essential to the economy. In the Roman and Byzantine periods, goods were typically transported by sea via ships or by land using carts, but in the Islamic period, the camel took precedence as the dominant land transport—replacing the Roman ship with the ‘ship of the desert.'”

According to Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, “The Negev holds many layers of history, and each discovery sheds light on another aspect of our past. I welcome the collaboration between the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Jewish National Fund to preserve the Byzantine synagogue and prepare it for public visits, and I invite everyone to explore our heritage throughout the country.”