Thursday, December 03, 2015

Byzantine-era olive press in Shiloh

EXCAVATION: 1,300-year-old olive press uncovered at Ancient Shiloh (Efrat Forsher, Israel HaYom).
The large size of the press and its proximity to a similar one found in 2011 provide proof that aside from being the capital of Israel for 369 years and housing the Ark of the Covenant, Shiloh was also the region's main manufacturer of olive oil.
I don't seem to have noted the discovery of that other olive press in 2011. Reports of the excavation of some other ancient olive presses in recent years are here, here, and here.