Nine decapitated toads discovered in an ancient burial site could give an insight into funeral traditions in Palestine before the Israelites invaded around 4,000 years ago.
The discovery by the Israel Antiquities Authorities was described as a 'priceless gift' for archeologists as it shines a light on prehistoric burial practices.
Excavation directors Shua Kisilevitz and Zohar Turgeman-Yaffe said the items probably 'constituted a kind of "burial kit" which, it was believed, would serve the deceased in the afterworld'.
They said: 'This section of the Nahal Repha'im basin was fertile ground for settlement throughout time, especially during the Canaanite period. In recent years excavations in the area have uncovered two settlement sites, two temples and a number of cemeteries, which provide new insight into the life of the local population at that time.
'For an archaeologist, finding tombs that were intentionally sealed in antiquity is a priceless treasure, because they are a time capsule that allows us to encounter objects almost just as they were originally left.'
Although precise dating is impossible, scholars estimate the Exodus described in the Bible roughly happened between 3,000 and 3,750 years ago meaning this discovery is likely to come from pre-Biblical times.
The research will be presented for the first time on October 18 at a conference on 'New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region, in Jerusalem.
