This small jug was produced in the ancient Canaanite town of Tell el-Yahudiyeh, an ancient city located about twenty kilometers north-east of Cairo. Tell el-Yahudiyeh was the site of an ancient Jewish temple and fortress, and in Arabic the name means “the mound of the Jews,” a reference to the large Jewish cemetery located in the city.
The jug’s dotted striations are particular to the Canaanite artisans of the Middle Bronze age from which this piece dates, corresponding approximately to 1700 B.C.E. – 1600 B.C.E.. The ebon exterior is highly polished and softly reflects light off the varied textures of its surface.
