by infolivetvenglish on Jul 30, 2011
A stone altar from the 9th century BC was found in an archeological dig on Tel Tzafit, located in the southern coastal plain at a site identified with the biblical Philistine city of Gat.
The altar is reminiscent of Jewish altars from the same period and sheds light on the cultural links between the two peoples, who fought each other for centuries.
The altar is approximately one meter tall and half a meter wide and was found by a team headed by Prof. Aren Maeir of the Land of Israel and Archaeology studies at Bar-Ilan University.
The most outstanding features of the altar are a pair of horns on its front and a cornice in the middle. Its form is reminiscent of the descriptions of the Jewish altars in the scriptures, with the most noticeable difference being that the altar in the Temple was described as having four horns, while the Gat altar has only two.
Professor Maeir said the altar demonstrates the cultural proximity between the two nations, traditionally cast as the most bitter of enemies
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