A remarkable 5,000-year-old settlement, shedding light on the early urbanization process in the Land of Israel, has been uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority during excavations near Beit Shemesh at the site known as Hurvat Husham.
These excavations were conducted in preparation for the expansion of the western industrial zone, "Brosh," initiated by the Shamir Engineering Group and the Bet Shemesh Economic Development Company.
Among the significant discoveries was a public building believed to have been used for ritual activities, which contained a room with around 40 intact vessels.
Notably, many of these vessels are quite small, suggesting they were not for domestic purposes but rather held symbolic significance. Remarkably, these vessels were found in their original placement, exactly as they were positioned by the inhabitants during the Early Bronze Age (around the end of the 4th millennium BCE).
“The size of this structure, its thick walls, and the benches within indicate that it served an important public function—potentially as a temple,” the excavation managers noted.
“We have very few examples of public buildings in Israel from this ancient period and earlier,” the researchers stated. “When comparing this structure to the few known buildings of its kind, we conclude that this may very well be one of the earliest temples ever discovered in the Judean Lowlands.”
