A rare and striking red-painted clay jug, approximately 1,200 years old and used for liquid storage, has been uncovered in excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority at Horvat ‘Anim in Yatir Forest. The jug, featuring camel decorations, offers insight into the significance of camels during the Abbasid period (9th-10th centuries CE).
“The depiction of two camels on the jug underscores their crucial role in land transport and the economy of the time,” explain researchers Oren Shmueli, Dr. Davida Eisenberg-Degen, and Dr. Anat Cohen-Weinberger of the Israel Antiquities Authority, along with Dr. Katia Cytryn from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Their research is being presented at the 20th Annual Southern Research Conference of the Israel Antiquities Authority, hosted at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev and open to the public free of charge.
The decorated jug was discovered in a cave that had been repurposed as a dwelling during renewed excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority. Originally, the cave served as an underground olive press for oil production. The excavations are part of a project initiated by the Jewish National Fund to develop the site for visitors. Alongside the olive press, an ancient Byzantine-period synagogue discovered earlier at the site has undergone extensive conservation by experts from the Conservation Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The synagogue was originally uncovered 40 years ago in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Avshalom Institute, and features impressive mosaic floor remains, reflecting the site’s historical importance.
“About 1,500 years ago, the Yatir region was part of an area known as the ‘Daroma,’ where Jewish and Christian communities coexisted,” says Oren Shmueli of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “The synagogue at ‘Anim undoubtedly served as the religious center for the local Jewish population.”
The underground olive press, approximately 1,300 years old and dating to the Early Islamic period, was fully excavated last year. The excavation revealed two massive stones that formed part of the press mechanism, with a wooden screw once installed between them to extract oil.
“The Yatir Forest olive press stands out for its advanced construction, resembling an ancient factory equipped with sophisticated and costly technology for its time,” said Shmueli.
The discovered ceramic jug, decorated with geometric patterns in red, features illustrations of a caravan of animals, including a camel and possibly an ostrich—the so-called “winged camel”—or a donkey. “During the Early Islamic period, camels were the primary mode of transportation,” Shmueli explains. “The jug’s illustrations emphasize the camel’s essential role in commerce. While the Roman and Byzantine periods relied on ships and carts for transportation, the Islamic period saw camels take precedence as the ‘ships of the desert.'”
According to Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, “The Negev holds countless layers of history, with each discovery shedding new light on our past. I welcome the collaboration between the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Jewish National Fund in preserving the Byzantine synagogue and opening it to the public. I encourage everyone to explore our heritage across the country.”
