Description
The Herodian period is one of the most flourishing and prosperous periods of the Holy Land in antiquity.
During this period King Herod the great established a number of glorious cities and sites, including Caesarea, Herodium, and perhaps his most important work: the expansion of the Temple Mount and the renovation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was at its peak, as was the entire region of Judea at that time. Socially, however, this period was characterized by social polarization and the emergence of sects within Judaism, which sometimes struggled with each other. Into this reality appeared the figure of Jesus Christ, during the first century AD.
But now, O Lord, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.
(Isaiah 64:8)
One of the most sought-after and valued pottery groups is that of the “Herodian Pottery”, of which the vessel on display belongs. This vessel began to be used probably only at the end of King Herod’s life, and is more characteristic of the first century BC. This vessel was common throughout the first century AD, and is also found in the assemblages of the days of the great revolt of Judea against Rome (66-70 AD).
The vessel on display, which is actually a juglet, was made of light- pinkish clay and designed in a simple way: a rounded body and a handle descending from a simple rim to the shoulder. There is a thin layer of light limestone on the clay of the juglet itself, which may indicate the origin of the vessel in the Judean Desert or the Dead Sea.
This is certainly conceivable, since during the first century AD there was extensive settlement in this region, and a clear example of this is the settlement of the Essenes in Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea.
This Juglet, which dates back to the 1st Century BC – 1st Century AD, to the days of Jesus and King Herod – an excellent testimony to the material culture of the people of Judea during this important period in the Holy Land.
