A rare stone container with multiple compartments, dating back around 2,000 years, has been unveiled at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Crafted from soft limestone, the box measures 30 x 30 cm (about 12 x 12 inches) and is divided into nine equal-sized interior compartments.

Discovered in a destruction layer within an ancient store near the Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, the box’s blackened sides suggest burning, possibly during the events of the Great Jewish Revolt that led to Jerusalem’s destruction.

Researchers believe the box served commercial purposes, possibly for displaying premeasured goods in Second Temple Jerusalem’s markets, where strict adherence to Jewish purity laws was maintained.

Stone vessels, unlike clay or metal, were considered impervious to impurity according to Jewish law, the Jewish News Syndicate reported.

A similar box was found about 50 years ago during excavations in the Jewish Quarter.

Written by B.C. Begley