Stone vessels in ancient Judaea

The use of stone vessels made from soft limestone/chalkstone among Jews during the Second Temple period and beyond was widespread across Judea, Galilee and the Golan Heights. Initially appearing in the early 1st century BCE, these vessels continued to be utilized in each region for differing lengths of time.

In Judea, their use was traditionally thought to have ceased after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, but discoveries in places like Jericho and Shuafat indicate their continued use until the Bar Kokhba revolt. Conversely, in the Galilee, their use persisted until the 4th century CE. These stone vessels were found in all regions densely populated by Jews, often in settlements featuring ritual baths, serving as a significant indicator of Jewish presence from the early Roman period through the Byzantine era.

Stone vessels held particular religious significance in Jewish ritual law due to their imperviousness to impurity, contrasting with pottery vessels that could become impure and would need to be discarded or broken. This property likely contributed to their popularity during a period when adherence to purity laws was paramount in Jewish culture.

The remains of at least five workshops dedicated to producing stone vessels from the Second Temple Period have been identified as of 2021. These workshops were located near Jerusalem (Mount Scopus and Hizma), in the Galilee (Einot Amitai and Reineh), and in the Golan Heights (Wadi es-Sufera). Evidence suggests the presence of more workshops within Jerusalem itself, including Jabal Mukaber, Tel el-Ful, and Bethlehem of Galilee. These workshops operated within caves where craftsmen quarried chalk (soft limestone) and crafted stone vessels using manual techniques or lathes.