Ancient Jewish Menorah Discovered in Elaborate Burial Cave West of Hebron

An impressive ancient burial complex has been uncovered in recent days in a village west of Hebron. The discovery was made during development work by a local resident, which led to the exposure of entrances to two ancient burial caves.

The first cave is a large "kokhim" tomb, designed as a spacious room with a vaulted ceiling. Its walls feature meticulously carved burial niches, larger than average, indicating significant effort and quality craftsmanship. The second cave is also a well-decorated burial chamber with similarly carved niches and original stone slabs used to seal them. A descending staircase leads to a more elaborate inner chamber with three burial shelves, suggesting the interment of distinguished individuals. The walls of this inner chamber are adorned with impressive decorations, including carvings of two types of Jewish menorahs, likely added later.

Archaeologists attribute the caves to the period between the Hasmonean dynasty and the end of the Second Temple period, with continued use possibly extending to the period between the revolts and the Bar Kokhba revolt, after which the Jewish settlement in the area was destroyed. The site is currently under the supervision of the Staff Officer for Archaeology (Qam"at), who is documenting the findings. Due to its sensitive security location near an Arab village and its precarious condition, public access is prohibited.

The discovery was investigated by Meir Rotter, a researcher of the Land of Israel and a colleague of the late researcher Zev Ehrlich.