Antiquities chief Ziad Al-Saad said archaeologists
unearthed the eighth century B.C. sanctuary at Khirbat 'Ataroz near the town of
Mabada, some 32 km southwest of the capital Amman.
The temple was composed of a main room measuring 97 feet
by 43 feet, as well as two antechambers and an open
courtyard, Al-Saad said.
The sanctuary and its artifacts -- hewn from limestone
and basalt or molded from clay and bronze -- show the complex religious rituals
of Jordan's ancient biblical Moabite kingdom, according to Al-Saad.
"Today we have the material evidence, the
archaeological proof of the level of advancement of technology and civilization
at that period of time," he said.
The Moabites, whose kingdom ran along present-day
Jordan's mountainous eastern shore of the Dead Sea, were closely related to the
Israelites, although the two were in frequent conflict. The Babylonians
eventually conquered the Moabites in 582 B.C.
Archaeologists also unearthed some 300 pots, figurines of
deities and sacred vessels used for worship at the site.
Al-Saad said it was rare to discover so many Iron Age
items in one place.
Excavations began in Khirbat 'Ataroz in 2000 in
cooperation with the California-based La Sierra University, but the majority of
the items were only discovered in the past few months.
Among the items on display Wednesday, there was a
four-legged animal god Hadad, as well as delicate circular clay vessels used in
holy rites. Al-Saad said the objects indicate the Moabites worshipped many
deities and had a highly organized ritual use of temples.
The items will be scientifically analyzed and conserved
before going on display in Jordan's archaeological museum.
