Ras Abu Dahud

Dor Golan

17/11/2010

During December 2008, a fragment of a stone measuring cup was found at Ras Abu Dahud in Rishon Le-Ziyyon during an antiquities inspection, while exposing remains of a burial cave that was not excavated (map ref. 182063/654643). The antiquities inspection was carried out by D. Golan, assisted by A. Gorzalczany (photography).

The site is a kurkar hill in Nahalat Yehuda, in the northern part of Rishon Le-Ziyyon. Remains of rock-hewn burial caves (HA 18-19:10; 40:13 [Hebrew]) dating to the Roman period had previously been found in the area, as well as building remains (HA 4:15 [Hebrew]) dating to the same period. Just to the north of the kurkar hill, settlement remains dating mostly to the Roman period (HA-ESI 121), which included a worn fragment of a vessel that appears to be a measuring cup, were exposed.

The measuring cup (diam. c. 10 cm, max. thickness 7 mm, height 12.5 cm) is carved out of limestone and has exterior vertical ribbing and a square handle with a round perforation (diam. 2 cm) in its center. Similar cups were found at sites with a Jewish inclination, i.e., Jerusalem, the French Hill (HA-ESI 119) and Tiberias, Galei Kinneret (HA-ESI 120). The cup resembles the stone vessels that were manufactured in the Jerusalem region (Y. Magen, 2002, The Stone Vessel Industry in the Second Temple Period. Jerusalem). It is a product of the Jewish stone-vessel industry during the Second Temple period and thereby corroborates the theory regarding the Jewish association of the cemetery and the adjacent settlement at Ras Abu Dahud.

1. The measuring cup.