Desecrated ancient temple sheds light on early power struggles at Tel Beth-Shemesh
Monday, November 12, 2012 - 13:01
in Paleontology & Archaeology
(Phys.org)—Tel Aviv University researchers have uncovered a unique 11th century BCE sacred compound at the site of Tel Beth-Shemesh, an ancient village that resisted the aggressive expansion of neighboring Philistines. The newly discovered sacred complex is comprised of an elevated, massive circular stone structure and an intricately constructed building characterized by a row of three flat, large round stones. Co-directors of the dig Prof. Shlomo Bunimovitz and Dr. Zvi Lederman of TAU's Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology say that this temple complex is unparalleled, possibly connected to an early Israelite cult—and provides remarkable new evidence of the deliberate desecration of a sacred site.