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Abstract

Four burial caves were discovered at Ben Shemen: Caves 1–3 are loculi (kokhim) caves of the type characteristic of Jerusalem and the Judean Hills during the Early Roman period; Cave 4 is an arcosolium cave, attributed to the Late Roman and early Byzantine periods. The kokhim caves yielded stone ossuaries—decorated with standard motifs characteristic of the period—and meager finds dating from the mid-first and second centuries CE. They were used as family burial place for the nearby Jewish settlement. Cave 4 consists of three arcosolia, each containing a burial shelf. The ceiling, the walls and the partitions of the burial shelves were covered with white plaster, on which were the remains of red paint. A Greek inscription in red was also found, indicating that the cave was used by Christians in the late third or the early fourth century CE.

Keywords

Lod Shephelah, burial, secondary burial, funerary goods, oil lamps, anthropology, Second Temple, Jewish population, Christians, charcoal, olive, carob, wood

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