Unique coffins dating back to a Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire were recently uncovered in the Galilee region of Israel by authorities investigating the theft of ancient artifacts, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Tuesday.

The operation took place in Kfar Mashhad, where a burial cave containing several intricately decorated stone coffins, dating back approximately 1,850 years, was found. These coffins, known as glosskamas, were utilized for the secondary burial of Jews during the period following the Bar Kochba revolt of 132-135 CE.

Upon arriving at a private lot, Israeli Police and Antiquities Authority inspectors were astonished to discover extensive illegal infrastructure work being conducted, utilizing heavy engineering tools. The inspectors noticed several piles of earth, suggesting that something was hidden underneath. The landowner and the individual responsible for the construction site were requested to remove the soil, revealing an ancient burial cave hewn out of rock.

Inside the cave, the remains of nine burial mounds were discovered. At the entrance, the inspectors were surprised to find three decorated stone glosskamas, which had been used in ancient times to house human bones. These glosskamas were found empty and displaced from their original positions, leading to immediate suspicion that the cave had recently been targeted by antiquities thieves.

Construction work at the site was halted, and several suspects were summoned for questioning at the police station on charges of damaging antiquities and failing to report the discovery of the ancient site. Simultaneously, the Antiquities Authority inspectors documented and removed the ancient artifacts to prevent further robbery and theft.

Dr. Eitan Klein, Deputy Director of the Robbery Prevention Unit at the Antiquities Authority, explained that the glosskamas — rectangular coffins, crafted from soft limestone — featured flat lids specifically designed to fit the structure.

The coffins were adorned with carvings influenced by Greek culture, depicting models associated with Jewish burial customs. One coffin displayed a model resembling a mausoleum or a memorial hand called a nefesh, while the other had a circular wreath with drilled holes, symbolizing the triumph of the deceased over death.

Klein said these decorative motifs are typical of the stone glosskamas used by the Jewish population in the Galilee during the Middle Roman period. Similar decorations have been found on glosskamas and they are considered an exclusive feature of Jewish burials from the end of the Second Temple period until the Bar Kochba revolt in the 2nd century AD.

The presence of decorated stone glosskamas in the Kfar Mashhad cave indicates the existence of a Jewish settlement in the area during the 2nd-3rd centuries AD, following the Bar Kochba rebellion and the migration of Jewish communities from Judea to the Galilee.

Image - Nir Distelfeld/Israel Antiquities Authority