Rare Second Temple discoveries unearthed at ancient Shiloh

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a series of rare Second Temple-era artifacts at the Ancient Shiloh National Heritage Site in southern Samaria, including a lavish ritual bath (mikveh), a clay cooking pot and a rare purple-dye snail shell used to produce the prestigious dye for tzitzit and the High Priest’s garments.

The discoveries were made during ongoing excavations led by the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit in cooperation with the Binyamin Regional Council. Archaeologists say the finds provide new evidence of Jewish religious life at the ancient biblical site, where the Tabernacle stood before the First Temple was built in Jerusalem.

Officials said the discoveries reinforce the deep historical connection between the Jewish people and Shiloh, with some of the artifacts recovered through a unique archaeological soil-sifting project involving local youth. The findings come during the Three Weeks, the annual period of mourning leading up to Tisha B’Av, when Jews commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples.