Israel Antiquities Authority / ‫רשות העתיקות‬

/ A Burial Cave with a Greek Inscription and Graffiti at Khirbat el-'Ein, Judean
Shephelah
‫ שפלת יהודה‬,‫עין‬-‫מערת קבורה ובה כתובת ביוונית וגרפיטי בח'רבת אל‬
Author(s): Boaz Zissu and ‫בועז זיסו‬
Source:
'Atiqot /
‫עתיקות‬
50 / 2005), pp. 27-36 ‫(התשס"ו‬
Published by: Israel Antiquities Authority / ‫רשות העתיקות‬
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'Atiqot 50, 2005

A Burial Cave with a Greek Inscription and Graffiti

at Khirbat el-'Ein, Judean Shephelah

Boaz Zissu

A burial cave that had been breached is situated

bynear an ancient site of the same
antiquities' looters south of Kh. el-'Ein name, (map.
located on the hill's southwestern slope
ref. NIG 19197/61456, OIG 14197/11456) (triangulation point 340 m; Figs. 1, 2). Nearby
was inspected and documented by the Israel were bell-shaped caves with columbaria
Antiquities Authority in 1996.1 The burial cave niches, as well as a large cave, probably for

Fig. 1. Location map of Kh. el-'Ein and other nearby Second-Temple-period burial sites.

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 28 Boaz Zissu

iiifeSfS!■‫*•ז‬-"
11
Kh. el-'Ein ^ I,

■^AdM '^‫־‬V ‫־‬S *a 53^ ' 3Wh !‫"•־‬

4^^^MH|Kfi£K'The Cave]
5" a."

‫ז‬-‫ייי'^י‬.*tf'
,■. • •.‫־"*'י‬

s&fev

Fig. 2. Aerial view of the site, looking east.

industrial use. R.A.S. Macalister, on behalf of Shephelah (e.g., at H. Burgin, Zissu and Ganor
the Palestine Exploration Fund, recorded some 1997:117-118; 1999:75 *-77*; H. Lavnin,
man-made caves hewn in the typical soft chalk Zissu 2001:104*).
(1qirton) in this area at the beginning of the The courtyard, hewn into the side of the hill,
twentieth century, but apparently did not locate is rectangular in shape (c. 2.5 x 5.7 m). Steps
this particular one (Bliss and Macalister 1902: measuring the entire width of the courtyard
224-237). Unfortunately, the ancient site is not descended to the floor level, which was probably
marked on modern maps. c. 3.8 m below the surface. Both the courtyard
and the stairs were covered with alluvial soil
mixed with chalk debris.
The Cave
After the burial cave had ceased to function,
Although the floor was hidden by debris,a the
deep bell-shaped cave with steps carved along
general layout of the complex is clear. its walls was hewn in the southern wall near
This
burial cave comprises four main components,
the lowest part of the courtyard (diam c. 6 m,
arranged along an east-west axis: a courtyard,
depth c. 7.5 m). This cave was probably used as
a vestibule, a burial chamber and an additional
a chalk quarry. The widespread construction of
room (Plan 1; Fig. 3). Similar axial planning
bell caves in the Judean Shephelah dates mainly
to the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods
is common in burial caves dating to the first
(Ben-Arieh 1962:60-61). We may assume that
century CE in Jerusalem (e.g., Jason's tomb,
Rahmani 1967; Mount of Olives, Abu Raya originally, a smaller pit was dug near this side
1997:109-110; Abu Tor, Kloner and Zissu of the courtyard in order to collect runoff water
2003:174-175, cave 7-9) and in the Judean and thereby prevent flooding of the burial cave,

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 A Burial Cave with a Greek Inscription and Graffiti at Kh. el-'Ein 29

burial
since such drainage pits associated with cave's last period of use. It contained
burial
complexes are known at nearby H. Burgin
sherds of a grooved-rim cooking pot from the
(Zissu and Ganor 1999:75*-77*, Fig. 151).
first century CE and a fragment of a second
In the courtyard's eastern wall was to
a third-century
broad CE Roman discus oil lamp
opening (reconstructed width c. 1.6 m)(Fig.leading
4). This oil lamp is a good chronological
to a square vestibule (2.0 x 2.4 m). indicator,
The roof establishing the final stage of the use
of thedecay.
had partially collapsed owing to natural cave to about the time of the Bar Kokhba

Comparison with those of better-preserved

Revolt in the first quarter of the second century
burial caves in the area (including H. CE (Zissu 1998).
Burgin,
cited above) leads us to assume that the In the eastern wall of the vestibule an opening
entranceway was arched. Chalk debris, 1.0-1.5led to the burial chamber. An arched doorway
m thick, mixed with a few sherds of ribbed was carved into a carefully worked nari slab
vessels (most likely extracted from the bell (1.4 x 1.3 x c. 0.35 m) that had been set in a
shaped cave), filled the vestibule (L101). Below rectangular frame cut into the bedrock. Over
this fill was a 5-10 cm thick layer of brown soil this frame, a decorative arch had been incised
(LI02) that apparently accumulated during the (Fig. 5). The entranceway was partially blocked

1-ADO
Plan 1. Plan and section of the burial cave and bell-shaped cave.

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30 Boaz Zissu

Fig. 3. Reconstruction

Fig. 4. The Fig.

Roman5. The bur
discus

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 A Burial Cave with a Greek Inscription and Graffiti at Kh. el-'Ein 31

The c.
by a cracked nari rolling stone (diam jambs
0.3were
x delicately smoothed with a
0.55 m thick; Fig. 6) that had been broad
rolledchisel and were decorated with a long
back
into the northern section of a hewn groove.
inscription in Greek letters and two nefashot,
discussedof
Although rolling stones are rare in tombs below
the(see Figs. 9-12).
Second Temple period, their appearance pointsburial chamber was carefully
The trapezoidal
hewn (c.
to a date range beginning from the 2.5 x 2.3 x 1.3 m). The floor of the
second
half of the first century CE until chamber
the end was of
not exposed in its entirety, but
appears to have been levelled. The chamber
the Byzantine period (Kloner 1980:215-216;
Kloner and Zissu 2003:24). lacks a central pit. In both the northern and
The rolling stoned position indicates that
southern walls were three kokhim, each with
the burial cave had already been breached
vaulted ceilingsin(Fig. 7). The openings of the
antiquity, perhaps by the hewerskokhim
of the werebell
adorned with recessed and arched

shaped cave in the courtyard. Theframes.

weight Typical
of of the late Second Temple
the large mound of earth and chalkperiod,
debriscaves
inof this type are found in great
numbers
front of the entranceway (L101) was in and around Jerusalem and in Judea
certainly
(Kloner
responsible for the cracking of the nari andand
slab Zissu 2003). The finds from this
sealing stone. chamber comprised several body sherds of
The inner section of the entranceway cut in store jars and a crudely-fashioned, rectangular
the soft chalk was rectangular (c. 0.6 x 1.1 m). stone trough (c. 0.30 x 0.45 x 0.22 m) made
from a rectangular block of chalk (Fig. 8). This
trough may have been used as an improvised
ossuary as well.

Fig. 6. The opening to the burial chamber from

inside, looking west.

0 10
1 I

Fig. 8. The stone tr

Fig. 7. The burial chamber, looking east. chamber.

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 32 Boaz Zissu

In the eastern wall of the chamber was that the hewing of this burial chamber was not
an opening leading to a small room, where
completed.
ossuaries were most likely stored. On the floor
we found small ossuary fragments adorned
The Inscription and the Nefashot
with rosettes. In its northern wall was a small A long inscription in Greek letters was incised
arched niche—probably for the collection of on the southern jamb of the entrance to the
bones. The chisel marks on the floor indicate burial chamber (Fig. 9). The inscription is

10

Fig. 9. Drawing of the southern jamb (by Haim Kaptsits).

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 A Burial Cave with a Greek Inscription and Graffiti at Kh. el-'Ein 33

buriallines:
divided into three frames by incised caves in Jerusalem and Judea and date
upper-left frame (A), lower-left frame (B),the
from andlate Second Temple period until the
right frame (C).2 Frame A (c. 8 x 25; time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. According
Fig. 10)
is the best preserved of the three (seetoFig.
Trachtenberg,
11 magical inscriptions were
considered as a charm against evil spirits
in rear pocket). The Greek letters are arranged
in nine rows, apparently without a perturbing
coherentthe peaceful repose of the departed
meaning. A large X was drawn in the upper1925; Trachtenberg 1961).
(Dornseiff
right corner of the frame. Frame B (c. Several
4 x 23magical inscriptions dated to the
cm; Fig. 10) is also quite well-preserved (see
first or early second centuries CE were carved
above entrances
Fig. 11 in rear pocket). The Greek letters are to Jewish tombs at H. Lavnin

(Zissu
arranged in five rows, again apparently 2001) and H. 'Eitun (Kloner 1985:99
without
any clear meaning. In the middle of the frame
100). Others appear on ossuaries from tombs at
a large X was scratched. Frame C (c. 18 x
Mount Scopus (Tsaferis 1982:49) and Jericho
10 cm) is poorly preserved owing to(Hachlili
damage 1984). Dating to the Late Roman
andletters
from tiny plant roots (Fig. 12); very few Byzantine periods, Greek and Hebrew
are discernible. In the lower left corner of the abecedaria were discovered above entrances
frame, again, a large X was incised. to Jewish catacombs at Bet She'arim (Schwabe
The inscription could not be deciphered. andLifshitz 1974:46^17, n. 137).
It may have served a magical purpose, with Underneath the inscribed frames a depiction
the formula and exact meaning difficult toof a structure was carved, probably representing
understand. Greek and Aramaic abecedaria a schematic nefesh (see Fig. 9). The height to its
as well as obscure inscriptions—perhaps apex is 40 cm and the base is c. 20 cm wide. The
with magical meanings—are known from base of the design consists of a stepped trapezoid

p V ‫־־דד‬-/
d>7 W V *'■'Vt‫'־‬/
AN‫^־‬ 1^ rx^j
m*'''‫'*'־‬ * ^♦ft'AvMKf7A
Y'+^ori\ ^!‫־‬/.^-'p^/vrv
‫ י‬1-^'J*!'*,6*^" ft^ ~\acu-'p*' ‫^*י‬0^, ^ *n^^K' '
•6/<1 ur£f.£ ''1 " t'^<> '
ytt,(rrfvj\cd ('0
^ ^i^oc *fV/^l ^
V/jT|vN'^fc
/ ' v 1^ 1 C6
r 5~' Jf^\ '* ^ ^
B_ U1antl'''*t‫־‬

Fig. 10. Drawing of the upper and lower left in

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34 Boaz Zissu

Fig. 12. Greek Inscr

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 A Burial Cave with a Greek Inscription and Graffiti at Kh. el-'Ein 35

form, ornamented by a row of short diagonal

lines at its bottom. Above this is a rectangular
component, adorned by two parallel vertical
and horizontal lines that intersect in the center.

On the top of this component is a triangular

element. Its top is adorned by a schematically
depicted palm branch. Two similar branches,
detached from the design, were carved to its
left.

In the center of the same opening's northern

jamb is a carving of a rectangular feature,
probably another nefesh (c. 11 x 14 cm). This
design consists of a rectangular base with a
gabled top (Fig. 13). The gabled top was filled
by a net motif, perhaps representing roof tiles. Fig. 13. The nefesh from the northern jamb.
A schematic palm branch ornamented the top
of the gable.
Nefashot were tomb markers built above (Sussman 1982:57, No. 60). Unfortunately,
burial caves, a recognized monumental the significance of this motif is not completely
feature in the necropolis landscape (e.g., the clear, and an in-depth discussion is beyond the
monuments in the Qidron Valley, Jerusalem; scope of this report (for a systematic study,
Avigad 1954). Drawings of nefashot are a including the archaeological findings and the
well-known motif related to death and burial. ancient sources, see Triebel 1999).
Perhaps for this reason, graffiti depicting these The architecture and meager finds of this
monuments adorn the walls of burial caves burial cave date its construction to the first

(e.g., at Jericho [Hachlili 1981] and at H. Egozcentury CE. It probably remained in use until
[Zissu 1999a]), ossuaries (Rahmani 1994: PI. the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. The cave
33, No. 231; PI. 86, No. 601; Hachlili 1981:33,
probably served a Jewish family who dwelled
Pl. VII; Billig 1996:81, Fig. 84) and oil lamps
nearby at Kh. el-'Ein.

Notes

1 The cave was discovered by Alon Klein andKaptsits (drawing). Of great assistance were
Haim
Avshalom Dadosh, inspectors of the Unit Prof.
for Hannah Cotton, Dr. Leah Di Segni and Dr.
the Prevention of Antiquities' Robbery of Lisa
theUllmann, who invested great efforts in the
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The cave was
deciphering of the inscription. The jambs with their
inscriptions are kept in the IAA collections, Nos.
documented and partly excavated by the present
1999-3031, 1999-3032. For a preliminary note on
author on behalf of the IAA (Permit No. A-2468),
the discovery, see Zissu 1999b.
with the participation of Alon Klein, Nili Graicer,
2 The three sections of the inscription were
Abraham Graicer, Amir Ganor, Raz Niculescu
photographed in situ and, after its removal, in the
(surveying, drafting and isometric reconstruction),
Tsila Sagiv and Niki Davidov (photography),photographic
Hezi studio of the IAA. Drawings and
copies also have been made in situ and again in the
Dan-Gur and Haim Moyal. The inscription removal
was directed by Ghaleb Abu Diab with the laboratory.
aid of

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 36 Boaz Zissu

References

Sussman
Abu Raya R. 1997. Jerusalem, Mount of Olives. ESI V. 1982. Ornamented Jewish Oil-Lamps,
16:109-110. From the Destruction of the Second Temple
Avigad N. 1954. Ancient Monuments in the Kidron Through the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Warminster.
Valley. Jerusalem (Hebrew; English Summary). Trachtenberg J. 1961. Jewish Magic and Superstition.
Ben-Arieh Y. 1962. Caves and Ruins in the Beth Philadelphia.
Govrin Area. IEJ 12:47-61. Triebel L. 1999. Die Nefaschot, Herkunft,
Billig Y. 1996. Jerusalem, Arnona. ESI 15:80-81. Vorkommen und Bedeutung einer friihjiidischen
Bliss F.J. and MacalisterR.A.S. 1902. Excavations in Grabsmalsgattung, erarbeitet aus archàologischen
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Dornseiff F. 1925. Das Alphabet in Mystik und Judaistik. Berlin.
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