The Iron IIA Judahite Temple at Tel Moza

¹This article is a partial synopsis of a thesis recently submitted by the author to Prof. Tallay Ornan and Dr. Doron Ben-Ami of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I would like to thank my colleagues in this project, Zvi Greenhut, Hamudi Khalaily and Anna Eirikh, for entrusting me with the publication of the temple and its artefacts.

Abstract

The renewed excavations at Tel Moza brought to light remains of an exceptional temple complex, established in the Iron IIA (10th–9th centuries BCE).2 An assemblage comprised of figurines and cultic vessels was found lying on the packed earth floor of the temple courtyard. The plan of the temple and the motifs of the figurines and cultic vessels are drawn from conventions prevalent throughout the Ancient Near East. The importance and unique nature of the Tel Moza temple are accentuated by the fact that it is the first Iron Age temple to be excavated in the heart of Judah, just a few km from Jerusalem, and thus provides new insight into early Israelite religion.

Keywords:

• Tel Moza
• Judah
• Iron Age
• Cult
• Temple
• Stands
• Figurines

Notes

¹ This article is a partial synopsis of a thesis recently submitted by the author to Prof. Tallay Ornan and Dr. Doron Ben-Ami of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I would like to thank my colleagues in this project, Zvi Greenhut, Hamudi Khalaily and Anna Eirikh, for entrusting me with the publication of the temple and its artefacts.