A rare mold used to cast female figurines during the First Temple period has been discovered in Jerusalem's Old City, providing the first direct evidence that these controversial clay idols were manufactured within the ancient capital itself. The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the find during excavations at the Tower of David Museum, where archaeologists unearthed the mold while sifting soil from First Temple-era fills ahead of construction of the new Schulich Wing for Archaeology, Art, and Innovation.
The discovery marks the first time a production mold for these figurines has been found in Israel from that period, according to IAA Excavation Directors Dr. Amit Re'em and Dr. Ayala Zilberstein. Re'em said the Kishle excavation, ongoing for several years, continues to surprise them time and again. He called the find one of the most significant archaeological excavations conducted in Jerusalem in recent decades, presenting the city's history in a clear and continuous sequence from the days of the Kings of Judah through the British Mandate.
Manufacturing Evidence Settles Old Question
After the discovery, ceramics conservation specialist Tamar Gonen cleaned the artifact and revealed its inner design of finely crafted facial features. Conservation specialist Sviatoslav Klindukhov then created a cast from appropriate material, producing a full reconstruction of the face of a female figurine with clearly defined features and an elaborate curly hairstyle.
Clay figurines from the First Temple period have been found in almost every excavation conducted in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, Re'em said. Until now, however, no production molds for these figurines had ever been discovered in Jerusalem. That raised the question of whether they were manufactured locally or imported from elsewhere. The discovery at the Kishle provides direct evidence that at least some of these figurines were produced within the city itself.
Three prominent types of First Temple figurines have been found: female figurines, commonly known as Judean Pillar Figurines; those depicting a horse and its rider; and zoomorphic, or animal, figurines, primarily representing horses. Made of clay, these figurines are often between approximately 10 and 20 centimeters high. They're typically covered in a white coating, though surviving traces of pigment indicate they were originally painted in yellow, red and black. When discovered, they're often found broken at the neck, a result of the manufacturing technique in which the head and body were made separately by hand, while only the face was formed using a mold.
The Idolatry Puzzle
The function of the Judean Pillar Figurines hasn't been fully understood, according to IAA Iron Age Curator Debbi Ben-Ami. The fact that they've been found in almost every household, as well as in streets and tombs, indicates they were objects of everyday use, while their identity and purpose remain the subject of scholarly debate. Scholars have proposed several interpretations, including that they represent a fertility goddess such as Asherah, the ancient Northwest Semitic goddess believed to have been the wife of El or Yahweh. Other scholars have suggested the figurines might have been children's toys. A third possibility is that they served as blessing figures, household amulets intended to bring protection and good fortune. The newly discovered mold from Jerusalem may provide fresh insights and help answer some of the questions that continue to occupy researchers, Ben-Ami said.
The use of figurines during the First Temple period is still unclear and their presence seems to contradict the biblical prohibition, Ben-Ami said, quoting Exodus 20:3: "Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness." She said, "We don't know exactly what the biblical prohibition refers to, but the archaeological reality is that figurines are found in every home. We have no texts indicating exactly what was done with these figurines, but we know they were in homes, on the streets and in tombs." She added, "In the past, attempts were made to name the figurines, like Asherah" and said some thought they were fertility figurines or children's toys. "Personally, I see them as a mediating figure," she said. "When you ask the upper realms for blessings and abundance, you're seeking an intermediary. Maybe it's a minor goddess. We don't know what rituals were performed with these figurines. Many more questions than answers surround this issue."
Public Archaeology Initiative
Tower of David Jerusalem Museum Director and Chief Curator Eilat Lieber said the discovery of the first mold for producing figurines dating to the First Temple period has generated tremendous excitement. The Tower of David Jerusalem Museum is built on the idea that Jerusalem's past continues to shape its present, and this summer visitors will have the opportunity to take part in real archaeological research by sifting soil from the Kishle excavations, she said. Every fragment recovered helps illuminate another chapter in the story of Jerusalem, making participants true partners in preserving and revealing the city's heritage.
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said that, according to the Jewish sages, the First Temple was destroyed because of three principal sins: idolatry, sexual immorality and bloodshed. The discovery of a mold for producing figurines from the First Temple period in the heart of Jerusalem offers a tangible glimpse into the world in which the prophets of Israel lived and into the spiritual and cultural realities they confronted, he said. When such an artifact emerges from the soil of Jerusalem, history becomes real and immediate, and this small piece of pottery tells the story of the beliefs, customs and spiritual challenges that characterized the capital city in ancient times.
Why This Matters:
The mold's discovery provides archaeological evidence of the spiritual tensions that defined the First Temple period and helps explain the prophetic warnings that fill the Hebrew Bible. The widespread presence of these figurines in ancient Jerusalem households, despite clear biblical prohibitions against graven images, reveals the gap between religious law and popular practice that the prophets struggled against. This wasn't abstract theology — it was a daily reality in the streets and homes of the capital. The find also demonstrates Jerusalem's role as a manufacturing center for religious objects, not just a passive recipient of imported goods, suggesting a more complex urban economy than previously understood. For modern Jerusalem, the discovery reinforces the city's unbroken connection to its Jewish past and the archaeological layers that continue to emerge from beneath its streets, providing tangible links to the biblical narrative that shaped Western civilization.