Judean Limestone Handled Ritual Vessel

Late Second Temple / Early Roman Period (Herodian Era), ca. late 1st Century BCE to 70 CE.
Chiseled from local soft chalk limestone (kirton), this deep cylindrical vessel features a flat base, upright walls tapering subtly toward the rim, and an integral solid vertical lug/ridge handle carved directly from the block. The exterior and interior surfaces display visible hand-chisel facets and gouge marks characteristic of Second Temple stone vessel production centered around Jerusalem and the Judean hills. Stone vessels of this type—conventionally termed "measuring cups" (se'ah or log measures) in Levantine archaeology—served a vital ritual and practical purpose in ancient Jewish life. According to rabbinic purity laws (Halakha codified in the Mishnah, tractate Kelim), vessels carved from stone were ritually pure and impervious to ritual impurity (tum'ah), unlike earthenware pottery, which had to be shattered if defiled. Consequently, limestone cups, jars, and bowls became widespread across Judean domestic and priestly contexts during the 1st century BCE through the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Size: 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) H. x 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) Diam.

Provenance: Estate of Daryl G Kulok, NYC and CT.