Roman, Holy Land, ca. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE. A carved limestone ossuary with incised floral, geometric, and architectural motifs. Its lid is undecorated, made of a simple carved slab of limestone. The exterior has been painted an earthy red color, with the motifs incised into the surface of one long side so that they are the natural creamy white color of the limestone against the red foreground. The interior of the box also has some lightly painted red pigment in X-forms on its sides. Size: 6.95" L x 17.4" W x 8.05" H (17.7 cm x 44.2 cm x 20.4 cm)

For about two centuries prior to the Roman destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish people in the Roman Holy Land practiced ossilegium, a secondary burial in a box like this one. In the first stage of burial, the body was placed into a pit or, in the case of more elite members of society, into a niche or bench in a tomb. A year later, when the soft tissue had decomposed, family members collected the deceased and placed their bones into an ossuary like this one. This was placed into a niche in the family tomb. This was an important event in the family, and also a religious act, designed to ensure the purification of the deceased's soul. The decorative motifs on the body may be wishes for rebirth, but may also have been inspired by the architecture of the Temple.

A similar example without a lid sold at Christie's in 2014 for $10,625: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/an-early-jewish-limestone-ossuary-roman-period-5800623-details.aspx

Provenance: private Davis collection, Houston, Texas, USA

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#132926

Lid is repaired from two pieces and has had two thin modern strips added to its interior to stabilize the repair. These are not visible unless the box is open. Exterior is in nice condition, with a few small chips and nicks commensurate with age. Motifs are in good condition and generally very clear. Light encrustation on surface, notably on the upper part of the lid.