A rare 2,000-year-old stone vessel recently uncovered in the Galilee is on display for the first time as part of the exhibition, “From the Great Assembly to the Knesset” at the Knesset in Jerusalem to celebrate the building’s 60th anniversary, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced in a statement on Monday.

Experts have identified the barrel-shaped jar with an open mouth as a “kalal,” a type of vessel popular in the early Roman period, which is mentioned in Jewish sources. Jews at the time favored stone vessels over regular pottery, as they were not susceptible to receiving ritual impurity according to Jewish law.

The vessel — of an unusually large size, about 80 centimeters (about 31.5 inches) high and 50 centimeters (just over 19.5 inches) wide — was uncovered at the Pundaka de Lavi site in the Lower Galilee, in an excavation conducted by the IAA, in cooperation with the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF).

“This find reflects a high level of strict halachic adherence and a cohesive and well-defined Jewish lifestyle, and illuminates the character of the Galilee as an active and vibrant living space during the Mishnah and Talmud periods – the very region within........

© The Times of Israel