BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

A Pyramid in the Judean Desert

A mysterious Hellenistic structure

Pyramid structure in the Judean Desert north of Nahal Zohar. Courtesy Emil Aladjem, IAA.

What is a pyramid doing in the Judean Desert? While certainly not a pyramid of the type found in Egypt, the pile of stones sitting on a lonely hilltop north of Nahal Zohar that overlooks the Dead Sea is certainly a mystery.

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Originally dated to the First Temple period (c. 1000–586 BCE), recent excavations of the site by the Israel Antiquities Authority have redated it to the Hellenistic period (c. 332–37 BCE) based, in part, on coins discovered at the site. “What we have here is one of the richest and most intriguing archaeological excavations ever found in the Judean Desert,” said the excavation directors. “This pyramidal structure we discovered is huge and made of hand-hewn stones, each one weighing hundreds of kilograms.”

Although the excavation team was able to get new insights into the dating of the site, the structure’s original purpose remains a mystery. “We still do not know for certain what the building’s purpose was: Is this a guard tower, guarding an important commercial route through which the Dead Sea resources of salt and bitumen were transported to the coastal ports? Or at some point was this enormous structure on the mountaintop marking a grave, or serving as a monument in ancient history?”

Aerial view of the Judean Desert site near Nahal Zohar. Courtesy Emil Aladjem, IAA.

Among the discoveries at the site were fragments of papyrus documents written in Greek, bronze coins from the time of the Ptolemies and Antiochus IV, weapons, wooden tools, and fabrics. Although some of these artifacts would typically have disintegrated over the 2,000-plus years between the Hellenistic period and today, the dry climate of the Judean Desert is well suited for preserving organic materials, such as the famed Dead Sea Scrolls.

Papyrus fragment discovered in the pyramid. Courtesy Emil Aladjem, IAA.

The excavations at Nahal Zohar are part of an ongoing project by the IAA, in conjunction with the Ministry of Heritage and the Civil Administration, to document and excavate sites throughout the Judean Desert. During the course of the project, the IAA has systematically surveyed the entire Judean Desert region—including 110 miles of cliffs—and located about 900 caves. With the help of rappelling equipment, digital technologies, and unique documentation methods, thousands of rare items have been uncovered, including scrolls, papyrus fragments, wooden utensils, weapons, leather items, and coin hoards.

Related reading in Bible History Daily

The Pyramid of Khay

The Nubian Pyramids of Sedeinga

What Is the Judean Desert?

All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library

Past Perfect: Beneath the Pyramids

Who Really Built the Pyramids?

The Hasmonean Kings: Jewish or Hellenistic?