This amazing find near Ramle was announced by Hebrew University researchers this week.

Israeli scientists said on Wednesday they had discovered a prehistoric ecosystem dating back millions of years containing eight previously unknown species of crustaceans and invertebrates similar to scorpions.

In a press conference held Wednesday morning at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the researchers said the discovery came about when a small opening was found, leading to a cave extending to a depth of 100 meters beneath the surface of a quarry in the vicinity of Ramle. The quarry is operated by cement manufacturer Nesher Industries.

“Until now eight species of animals were found in the cave, all of them unknown to science,” said Dr. Hanan Dimantman, a biologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Haaretz has the full story and a photo.

The Gath blog has been mentioned here before, but it’s worth mentioning again because they are doing a great job of keeping it updated, and with things that you don’t always see. Last summer the so-called “Goliath inscription” was in the news and they have a very nice high-resolution photo of it. 

The “bottom line” of the post shows the significance of the discovery:

1) the inscription demonstrates that ca. the 10th/9th cent. BCE, names very similar to Goliath were in use at Philistine Gath. This does provide some cultural background for the David/Goliath story; 2) that already early in Iron IIA, the Philistines adopted the Semitic writing systems.

The recent posts have a good variety of helpful, large photos of an archaeological excavation. Good for teaching, especially if you haven’t been on a dig to take the photos yourself!

No one is claiming that this tomb will be as amazing as that of its neighbor, King Tut, but the fact that another intact tomb has been discovered is newsworthy in itself. The tomb dates to the late 18th dynasty, approximately the same time as King Tut, but the identity of the tomb is not yet known and probably does not belong to a pharaoh. Perhaps it was the tomb of a queen, noble or other court official. Or maybe the gardener, one archaeologist joked. CNN has the story with two photos. Yahoo has about half a dozen.

An ancient cemetery was uncovered in the southern Shephelah recently. The tombs are “6,000 years old” which makes it from the Chalcolithic period (though the article doesn’t specifically say). It does say that “The find yielded a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, including pottery, statues and jewelry all in mint-condition….He added that the find was the biggest of its kind and was invaluable for historians to deepen their understanding of the period.” I call the Chalcolithic age one of “surprising sophistication,” and this hoard could be good. The article is very brief but for the rest, see Haaretz. The photo is of an ossuary (burial box) from the Chalcolithic period, discovered elsewhere.

Note: despite the name similarity, Kiriath Gath is not near ancient Gath; the name was given to it early in the 20th century when the location of Gath was believed to be further south. Kiriath Gath is closer to biblical Lachish.

Reports are just now surfacing that last month police found pieces of a mosaic floor from an ancient synagogue in an Arab car. The mosaic includes a menorah, palm branch (lulav), and an inscription which says “Peace on Israel.” The mosiac measures 2 x 3 feet and is believed to be from a 7th century A.D. synagogue in the area of Ramallah (vicinity of ancient Bethel). The thieves were arrested and so far have not divulged the location of the find. More information about the discovery is at Arutz-7, Jerusalem Newswire (but Ramallah is not ancient Ramah), and the AP. The graphic at right is from Arutz-7.

In one of those “I wish this were me” stories, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that three boys, aged 11-13, found an intact burial cave from the Second Temple Period (probably 1st century A.D.) near Beth Shemesh. The cave includes skeletons, ossuaries, and probably some other interesting goodies. The Antiquities Authority sealed the cave, presumably until they have the manpower to properly excavate it.

The above photo is of an ossuary from the 1st century, but not one that was recently discovered.