The Jordan Valley vessel with pierced handles is the oldest pot at The Bible Land Shop, dating from the Chalcolithic Period in the fourth millenium B.C. (that's 4,000-3,000 B.C.), way before the Patriarchs were even born. According to biblical timelines, that places the origin of this pot sometime within the first ten generations, between Adam and Noah!

The original, found in the Jordan Valley along the Jordan River, has a type of pierced handles that were confined to this period: they were made by applying a lump of clay to each side of the pot, then thrusting a stick through the lumps. This created holes through which a rope could be passed and tied over top a lid, forming a storage vessel impenetrable to insects.

Archaeologists still know relatively little about the Chalcolithic Period in the Jordan Valley (it is a lot of layers down, you know), but the original Jordan Valley vessel on which this one was modeled can be seen in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem today, along with all the interesting things they did learn from it.

The Jordan Valley Pottery Kit contains:

• potsherds buried in sand;
• glue (for sticking together potsherds);
• paintbrush (for applying glue);
• plaster (for filling in holes);
• "spatula" (for applying plaster);
• balloon (for applying plaster in some pieces);
• complete instructions and a welcome to the world of archaeology by Perli Pelzig (English & Hebrew);
• scroll explaining the beginnings of ancient pottery (English & Hebrew);;
• a display card containing interesting information about the origin, usage, and history of your pot (English & Hebrew).

Assembled Size: 5.5" X 5.5" X 8"