14 DAY TRIAL // In the eve of the Passover holiday, archaeologists from the University of Haifa have just discovered a large, foot-shaped enclosure, of the kind that was described in the Bible as the place where the people of Israel would gather their armies, practice religious rituals, as well as conduct other ceremonies. Prof. Adam Zertal, who has been in charge of the excavations, says that his team has found five such giant, foot-like structures in the Jordan Valley, the first such discoveries in the region.
“The 'foot' structures that we found in the Jordan valley are the first sites that the People of Israel built upon entering Canaan and they testify to the biblical concept of ownership of the land with the foot,” Zertal, who is an archaeologist at the University of Haifa, explains. “I am an archaeologist and only deal with the scientific findings, so I do not go into the additional meanings of the discovery, if there are any,” he adds, referring to the fact that he does not wish to comment on the potential religious implications of his find.
“The discovery of these 'foot' structures opens an entirely new system of linguistic and historical perceptions. Now, following these discoveries, the meanings of the terms become clear. Identifying the 'foot' enclosures as ancient Israeli ceremonial sites leads us to a series of new possibilities to explain the beginnings of Israel, of the People of Israel's festivals and holidays,” the expert stresses.
All of the five enclosures were discovered between 1990 and 2008, and their origins were estimated to be in the Iron Age I, between the 13th and the 12th centuries BCE. At the respective times of discovery, archaeologists concluded that the structures were used for human gatherings and not for keeping animals inside, on account of their shape and size, which would have made no sense if their purpose was to lock sheep, goats and cattle inside.
Zertal also shares that the significance of the foot is one rooted in Israeli tradition, on account of the fact that, at the time the structures were completed, the ownership over a land was symbolized by stepping on it. It would then stand to reason that the People of Israel would want to mark their territory via the use of these large structures, which probably could be seen from a long distance away.