Ancient Shiloh Discovery: 3,000-Year-Old Storage Jars Unearthed Near the Site of the Tabernacle

It was reported today (Thursday) that the archaeological excavation team currently working at the Ancient Shiloh tourist site has, in recent days, uncovered three large and impressive storage jars dating back thousands of years, near the area where the *Mishkan* stood in the biblical period.

The discovery was made during the annual excavation season led by the Ancient Shiloh tourist site and the Mishkan Shiloh Association, in cooperation with the Staff Officer for Archaeology in the Heritage Ministry.

The excavations, which in recent years have become one of Israel’s most prominent archaeological research efforts, draw researchers, students, and volunteers from around the world to Shiloh each year. The expedition is led by Dr. Scott Stripling, one of the leading researchers in biblical archaeology. This year as well, in the midst of an ongoing war, dozens of participants from the United States and other countries arrived to take part in uncovering Shiloh’s ancient history.

The jars were discovered during deep excavation work carried out by the archaeologists in an area where many pottery vessels from the Late Bronze Age had previously been uncovered, along with gold and silver offerings. The goal of the excavation was to reach bedrock and complete the understanding of the site’s stratigraphic sequence. During the dig, the three jars were uncovered in a particularly early layer from the Middle Bronze Age, beneath finds from the Late Bronze Age and beneath layers from the Iron Age.

The jars are now expected to undergo scientific testing that will help determine their precise age and how they were used. The initial assessment is that these were storage vessels used to hold agricultural produce, including grapes, wine, olive oil, and other goods that were part of everyday life in the region thousands of years ago.

Dr. Scott Stripling, head of the excavation expedition, said: "This is an especially exciting find. We set out to investigate the earliest layers at the site in order to better understand the history of Shiloh, and along the way we discovered three impressive storage jars that had been preserved for thousands of years. We can now investigate what was inside them and perhaps learn new details about the daily lives of the people who lived here thousands of years ago. Every year we come here with researchers and volunteers from around the world to uncover another chapter in the story of Shiloh, and this year too people chose to come here despite the war because they understand the importance of this special place.".