Utah Valley University technique helped to uncover an Idumean Palace or Temple in Israel

An impressive 2200-year-old structure has been unearthed in a dig by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem A rare altar, adorned with an image of a bull in relief, was discovered inside the structure The structure was apparently dismantled intentionally, perhaps during the Hasmonean conquests of the region * The find was able thanks to a new drone survey developed by a UVU, who are working together with the HU in the last eight years

An impressive 2200-year-old (Hellenistic period) structure, possibly an Idumean palace or temple, was uncovered last October in archaeological excavations at the Beit Lehi (Loya in Hebrew) region, in the Judean Lowlands in Israel.

According to the excavation directors, Dr. Oren Gutfeld of the Hebrew University, and Pablo Betzer and Michal Haber of the Israel Antiquities Authority: “If this was indeed an Idumean palace or temple, it is a rare and exciting find – similar structures in this country can be counted on the fingers of one hand. It seems that the building was intentionally dismantled, possibly during the Hasmonean conquest of the region.”

Two stone incense altars were discovered in one of the rooms. One of them, bearing the carved image of a bull, is depicted as standing in what is apparently the façade of a temple adorned with magnificent columns. According to the archaeologists, the altar is “a unique and rare find in terms of its decoration.” The bull, they say, “may have symbolized a deity worshipped by the Idumeans.” In addition to the incense altar, delicate pottery vessels were also uncovered, including painted bowls, juglets and oil lamps.

Also found at the site are numerous underground spaces, used as quarries or to house ritual baths (miqvaot), oil presses and dovecotes. Hiding tunnels from the time of the Jewish revolts against the Romans were also discovered; one of these contained an intact cooking pot from the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE).

The new discovery came to light with the help of camera-equipped drones – technology that has become part of the archaeologists’ tool box in recent years thanks to UVU. In the last eight years, every spring a group of UVU faculties and students arriving to the site in Israel with 3-D Lidar scanners and drones with HD cameras and working at the site. As part of an extensive archaeological research: Beit Lehi Regional Project. The drone cameras photographed the archaeological remains from high above, subsequently revealing hints of the structure now under excavation. Calling the discovery a research breakthrough, the archaeologists say: “This technology helped us choose where to focus our excavation probes, and, indeed, it very quickly emerged that this was in fact a unique discovery. We hope that our continued excavation of the site in the spring will uncover more of the story told here.”

The excavation at the site in the last ten years, is funded by the Beit Lehi Foundation, Utah under Mr. Alan Rudd and Mr. Gary Rudd, and, was carried out with the participation of archaeology students from the Hebrew University, as well as a group of volunteers from the Beit Lehi Foundation, Utah.