On Saturday 18 December 2004 16:31, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Dave, > > I recently read the proposal that Dead Sea bitumen was used as the fuel for > the Qumran pottery kiln. The fumes would be fairly noxious, and so for the > privileged class residents of Jericho it would be advantageous if pottery > made with this local fuel was made outside Jericho itself (i.e. some at > Qumran). It is now certain that a significant proportion of Qumran pottery > was made with Jericho clay. (It will be very interesting to see the > results of testing for the clay Magen found at Qumran.) > > The article's explanation of the use of pottery to cover up meal remains at > Qumran to prevent scavenging by jackals and other scavengers (one should > include dogs in the list) is of course an improvement over the old theories > that saw some esoteric religious significance in this.
Agreed. Whenever I see things like this explained by some obscure religious suggestion, my mind hearkens back to the excellent book, "Motel of the Mysteries" by David Macaulay. Anybody even remotely interested in things archaeological should read it and have a good laugh at themselves. Sometimes a bone jar is just a bone jar. -- Dave Washburn http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur "No good. Hit on head." -Gronk _______________________________________________ g-Megillot mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.McMaster.CA/mailman/listinfo/g-megillot
