Archaeologists have discovered a 2,200-year-old pyramid-shaped Judean Desert structure alongside a trove of rare Hellenistic-era artefacts.
Led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the Heritage Ministry, the excavation is taking place north of Nahal Zohar near the Dead Sea. The pyramid, built from enormous hand-carved stones, was found above what appears to be an ancient roadside station.
Coins bearing the face of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Greek papyri, wooden tools, weapons and textiles have already been uncovered, with much of it remarkably preserved by the dry desert climate.
“This structure we discovered is massive, with hand-carved stones, each weighing hundreds of kilograms,” said IAA directors Matan Toledano, Dr Eitan Klein and Amir Ganor. “Already in the first excavation week, the volunteers found written historical documents, exceptional bronze vessels, and remains of ancient furniture.”
Previously believed to date to the First Temple period, the site is now understood to have been built centuries later, during the Hellenistic rule of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires.
Its true purpose remains unclear. “Was it a military outpost guarding a major trade route… or did this massive structure atop the mountain serve as a tomb marker or an ancient monument?” the directors said.
The dig is part of a wider eight-year effort to protect the desert’s archaeological sites from looting and natural erosion. So far, the project has mapped around 900 caves across 180 kilometres of desert cliffs.
IAA director Eli Eskozido described the project as one of the most significant in Israel’s archaeological history. “With Passover approaching… a few days of exploration and discovery in the Judean Desert can be a unifying and uplifting experience for everyone,” he said.
Volunteers are invited to join the dig, which will continue for several more weeks.
