PREFACE i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The archaeological expedition described in this headed by Dr. Yitzhak Magen, and assisted by volume—‘Surveys and Excavations of Caves Hananya Hizmi. The project began on in the Northern Judean Desert—1993’ (‘Opera- November 15, 1993 and continued for about tion Scroll’; CNJD)—is part of the Israel Anti- two months. Participating in it were approxi- quities Authority (IAA) multi-facted program mately 50 archaeologists and 100 team members, relating to the Dead Sea Scrolls on during the among them surveyors, photographers, conser- last decade of the twentieth century. It vators, pottery restorers, administrative staff, consisted of three main undertakings: (1) the volunteers and about 170 laborers. It should be recently completed scientific publication of the mentioned that archaeologists from other scrolls discovered to date; (2) the conservation institutions, who had worked in the Judean of these scrolls in the laboratories of the Israel Desert prior to the project, were invited to take Antiquities Authority; and (3) the campaign part, and some accepted the challenge. The described in this volume, which includes project was made possible by a financial comprehensive and archaeological surveys and contribution provided by a benefactor who excavations in the northern Judean Desert for prefers to remain anonymous. the purpose of discovering additional scrolls The surveys were performed along most of and other finds. the eastern cliffs of the Judean and Ramallah After a long time in planning, was the project anticlines, in the Judean Desert and Jordan submitted to the then Minister of Education and Valley, from Wadi ed-Daliya in the north to Culture, Mrs. Shulamit Aloni and to Civil Nahal Dragot in the south (see the pocket-map Administration of Judea and Samaria, as part of in part 1). This area was divided into regions, to Israel Antiquities Authority’s and the Staff each of which was assigned a senior archae- Officer of Archaeology’s long-term programing ologist with a professional staff at his disposal. 1993. This program took place a number of The archaeologist was mandated to survey the months prior to the interim agreement between region and excavate the caves and sites Israel and the Palestinians Authority (1993). discovered in it. The fieldwork was carried out Carrying out this large-scale archaeological from dawn until dusk and sometimes even enterprise, so close to the first Oslo Accords, continued into the night. The archaeologists-in- aroused criticism from certain political and charge, the field archaeologists , and all the staff academic quarters; there were even those who members met daily at the expedition camp near viewed it as an attempt at opportunism in light Qumran in order to update the expedition of the anticipated evacuation of Jericho. There directors and to plan their activities for the is no basis whatsoever for these contentions. following day. The campaign was organized and carried out Each survey or excavation received its own by the Israel Antiquities Authority headed by its permit. It was decided that the Scrolls Advisory then director general, Amir Drori, and by the Committee to the director of IAA (consisting Unit of the Staff Officer of Archaeology of the Professor Shemaryahu Talmon, Professor Jonas Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria, Greenfield, Magen Broshi and Professor ii LIOR WEXLER Emmanuel Tov) would determine who was to who headed the administrative staff, be entrusted with the publication, should any responsible for security and safety matters; The scrolls be discovered. surveyors, photographers and laborers, as well During the expedition, approximately 650 as volunteers from the Israel Center for Cave caves and sites were surveyed and some 70 of Research (ICRC) in ‘Ofra. I am especially them were excavated. In extension, large-scale gratefull to the following people: Ya‘akov excavations continuing until 2002 were also Amiel, Hananya Hizmi, Hava Katz, Rachel conducted at Qumran, under the direction of Dr. Avraham and Gavri Banai; Yoav Tzionit, Orna Yitzhak Magen and Yuval Peleg. The results of Sirkis, Caroline Fellous and Orna Nagar- these excavations will be published separately. Hilman, who coordinated the preliminary In addition to the scientific importance of the preparation of the manuscripts; Shlomi project, a great service has been rendered to the Ammami the photographer; Pnina Shor who archaeological heritage of this country, since it coordinated the processing of the artifacts upon forestalled the antiquities robbery that had been completion of the fieldwork; and finally, the plundering the region for years. There is no staff of the publications department of the Israel doubt that the findings of the project have Antiquities Authority, and especially Lior greatly enriched our knowledge of the region Wexler, who so assiduously edited this volume, and its past. and the former and current directors of the I wish to convey my apprecation to all the publication department—Ayala Sussmann and employees of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Dr. Zvi Gal. the Unit of the Staff Officer of Archaeology in Judea and Samaria, the Israel Defense Forces, and the Civil Administration of Judea and My thanks to them all Samaria, as well as all of the archaeologists who Amir Drori took part in the project. Special thanks to Giora Director-General of the Israel Antiquities Biran, then deputy director general of the IAA, Authority, 1991–2001 PREFACE iii EDITOR’S FOREWORD Volume 41 of ‘Atiqot is dedicated to ‘Survey from each cave are dealt with on an individual and Excavations of Caves in the Northern basis. Part 2 also includes an article summarizing Judean Desert—1993’ (CNJD) project along the numismatic finds and their significance. Coin most of the northern part of the fault catalogues appear throughout the volume’s escarpment near the Dead Sea. This volume articles, alongside the description of the caves joins the 1998 publication of the excavation in and the finds uncovered in them; the coins are Cave III/13 by Tamar Schick, The Cave of the numbered sequentially within each article. Warrior: A Fourth Millennium Burial in the The caves and other sites that were Judean Desert (IAA Reports 5). Further reports discovered were presented, as the survey will appear there in the future on the excavations regions, from north to south and from west to conducted in Cave V/38 and at Qumran. east, and are numbered using Arabic numerals The volume is divided into parts, by language: (e.g., Cave VII/2: Region VII, Cave No. 2). Part 1 is in Hebrew and Part 2 in English. Alongside the sequence number of the site is its Within these two parts the results of the surveys geomorphologic designation: cave, rock and excavations are grouped according to the shelter, niche, notch or other (some of the sites regions surveyed, which are designated by the are man-made). The official name of the cave, Roman numerals I–XV; the regions are in the event that it exists on the maps of the arranged from north to south and from west to Survey of Israel or in the Register of east (see map in the inside cover of part 1). A Monuments and Archaeological Sites, or location map precedes the review of each another name (given to it during this project or region, followed by an article summarizing the in previous publications) appears in quotation findings of the survey (including the results of marks after the sequence number. In the site limited excavations and studies accompanying description we also tried to provide a descrip- these surveys and excavations) and excavation tion of its location; whenever possible there are reports and additional research related to them. an accompanying map and photographs. The survey articles appear almost in their The excavation reports and the articles entirety in both the Hebrew and English dealing with the finds appear under the names sections, with the illustrations (photographs, of their authors. When the surveyor/excavator/ plans and the drawings of finds) presented only processor of the artifacts was not an active in part 1. The excavation reports and related partner in preparing the article for publication, studies with their accompaning illustations on the report was prepared by the Unit of the the other hand, appear in the language in which Archaeological Staff Officer of Judea and they were written. English abstracts of the Samaria, relying on the files maintained in their Hebrew articles are also included in part 2. archives. Regions XII (initially surveyed by Studies concerning textiles, and animal bones Fawzi Ibrahim and replaced by Yuval Baruch) are both grouped into a summary in an article and XV (directed by Nimrod Negev) are not appearing at the end of part 2, while the finds included in this volume owing to reasons iv LIOR WEXLER beyond the control of the editorial board. Special thanks must be paid to the Nevertheless, a number of excavations Archaeological Staff Officer of Judea and conducted with these two regions are included. Samaria, Dr. Yitzhak Magen, and and his The index of caves at the end of Part 1 assistance, primarily, Hananya Hizmi and Yoav includes the numbers of the caves as they are Zionit. I am grateful to the following people: published here, their numbering during the Orna Sirkis, Orna Nagar-Hilman and Caroline survey and the excavation, and any additional Fellous who were there at the beginning of the names they may have. process, wrote some of the short articles and processed the finds and the initial plans; Yoav **** Zionit, for completing their work and standing My thanks and appreciation are extended to all by me in the challenge presented by such a those who were involved in preparing this complicated publication; and Hananya Hizmi publication, but first and foremost to Ayala for his support and encouragment.