This elegant shaped stirrup vessel is of a type often associated with ancient Mycenae on the Greek mainland. As there was thriving trade during the Late Bronze Age between the various cultures of the eastern Mediterranean, it is very possible that the jar originated there and traveled to ancient Palestine filled with precious oil or wine. Graceful in form, with bold yet simple decoration, it reminds us of mankind's age-old desire to surround himself with a beauty that outshines mere function. Whose hands might have held it so long ago we can only guess, yet the connection is a direct one between our age and theirs.