Earliest worship: Evidence of 35,000-year-old prehistoric rites found in northern Israel
Researchers hail discovery of ritual complex at Manot Cave as ‘a global breakthrough,’ marking the oldest such findings in the Levant
Gavriel Fiske is a reporter at The Times of Israel
In what they are calling “a global breakthrough,” researchers working at a prehistoric cave site in northern Israel have discovered evidence of one of the earliest instances of communal worship, a find that “sheds light on the role of ritual centers in the evolution of human society,” according to a Tuesday press release.
The discovery is based on a “ritual complex” dating from around 35,000 years ago found in the Manot Cave, a site in the western Galilee that was extensively used by prehistoric humans.
The ritual complex, set apart from the main cave area in “the darkest depths,” features natural acoustics and is “enclosed naturally by impressive stalagmites that create a distinctive entrance,” and features “a unique and impressive rock with geometric engravings resembling a turtle shell” in a central location, the researchers said.
The discovery “enriches our understanding of prehistoric humans, their symbolic world and the nature of the worship rituals that connected ancient communities,” and is a “breakthrough in our understanding of human society” that “reveals the central role of rituals and symbols in shaping collective identity and strengthening social bonds,” the press release said.
A paper on the latest findings, “Early human collective practices and symbolism in the Early Upper Paleolithic of Southwest Asia,” was published this week in the peer-reviewed journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America), authored by Dr. Omry Barzilai (University of Haifa and Israel Antiquities Authority), Prof. Ofer Marder (Ben-Gurion University), Dr. José-Miguel Tejero (University of Barcelona) and Prof. Israel Hershkovitz (Tel Aviv University).
The Manot Cave ritual complex is the “first evidence” of its kind in the Levant and “among the first in the world,” the authors said.
The centerpiece of the discovery is an engraved rock, “deliberately placed in a niche in the deepest, darkest part of the cave. The turtle-shell design… indicates that it may have represented a totem or a mythological or spiritual figure,” Barzilai said.
The rock’s “special location, far from the daily activity areas near the cave entrance, suggests that it was an object of worship,” he said.
The rock engravings were scanned with “a unique confocal microscope” that “confirmed without a doubt that the engravings are the work of human hands,” the researchers said.
The area around the turtle-shell rock contained ash remains, “confirming the use of fire to illuminate the ritual space, likely with torches,” and testing showed the space possessed “enhanced natural acoustics, which could have created a unique auditory experience for communal activities such as prayer, singing and dancing,” the researchers said.
“This is an unprecedented discovery of a space with ‘audio-visual equipment,’ centered around a ritual object (the turtle), which constitutes the first evidence of communal rituals in the Levant,” Prof. Hershkovitz said.
For prehistoric tribes, “darkness embodies sacred and hidden qualities, symbolizing rebirth and renewal,” so it is “no surprise that prehistoric hunters chose to conduct their rituals in the darkest part of Manot Cave,” he said.
Establishing such ritual centers was “a central element in the development and institutionalization of collective identity,” a step in the transition from “small, isolated hunter-gatherer groups based on blood ties between individuals to large, complex societies,” Hershkovitz said.
The dating of the ritual complex (from 35,000 to 37,000 years ago) coincides with what is called the Aurignacian culture, a phase of prehistory when modern humans were first settling in Europe, known for cave paintings and the use of symbolic objects. At the entrance to the Manot Cave, researchers uncovered a “rich layer” from this period including “flint tools, bone and antler implements and shell beads,” the researchers said.
The inhabitants of the Manot Cave mostly stuck to the immediate entrance area, which would have natural light. The cave descended deep into the earth and had a natural chimney about 10 meters inside. The ritual complex described in this article was found about 50 meters beyond the entrance, past several rows of stalagmite barriers.
In the study, the researchers also discovered a complete deer antler in a separate, small chamber next to the ritual complex. “Antlers were used as raw material for crafting tools… The placement of the deer antler in a hidden chamber adjacent to the ritual site may be connected to the ritual activities in the cave,” Barzilai said.
The researchers also created a 3D photographic map of the entire cave complex, which showed “a clear separation between the ritual complex and the areas of regular activity at the cave entrance,” an observation that showed “the significance of the complex and the need to differentiate it from the areas where daily activity took place,” the IAA said.
3D rendering of the Manot Cave complex in northern Israel, in a video released on December 10, 2024. (Alex Vigman/IAA)
The Manot Cave, since its discovery in 2008, has been investigated by multi-disciplinary teams of experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University. The cave complex features remains of human activity and habitation from several different prehistoric cultures. Previous finds include a 55,000-year-old human skull, the earliest example of modern human remains outside of Africa, and a collection of human teeth dating from 40,000 years ago.
