Archaeologists Discovered a 2,200-Year-Old Pyramid. They Can't Explain its Purpose—Yet.
Archaeologists discovered a 2,200-year-old pyramid structure in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea that featured stones weighing hundreds of pounds each.
Early returns from excavations have already yielded artifacts aplenty, from historical documents to bronze vessels and ancient furniture.
Further investigation hopes to parse out the site's use, whether as a guard tower, a monument, or even a tax collector's fortress.
The mystery surrounding the discovery of a 2,200-year-old pyramid in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea comes with plenty of clues. Filled with Greek historical documents written on papyrus, bronze coins minted under Greek rulers, weapons aplenty, and even ancient furniture, eager archaeologists hope to rummage the plunder to understand just why this building existed.
Active during the time the Ptolemies and Seleucids ruled Israel, the site roughly 12 miles south of Masada and described as 'huge' by the Israel Antiquity Authority, has massive historical importance. 'What we have here is one of the richest and most intriguing archaeological excavations ever found in the Judean Desert,' the excavation directors said in a statement on behalf of the authority. 'This pyramidal structure we discovered is huge, and made of hand-hewn stones, each one weighing hundreds of kilograms.'
Already in the first week of excavation, volunteers working with the authority found written historical documents, bronze vessels, wooden tools, fabrics, and more, all preserved by the desert climate. 'This is a very promising site,' the team wrote, 'every moment new findings are discovered, and we are filled with anticipation.'
Part of a larger Judean Desert archaeological operation that began eight years ago to save potential finds from illicit excavation and theft, a dedicated Robbery Prevention Unit systematically surveyed the desert along 112 miles of cliffs, locating roughly 900 caves. The teams found thousands of rare items, including scrolls deliberately hidden. Locating a pyramid was an unexpected discovery.
'This excavation changes the site's historical record,' the three excavation leaders wrote. 'Contrary to previous hypotheses that attributed this structure to the First Temple period, it seems that it was built later—during the Hellenistic period—when the land of Israel was under Ptolemaic rule.'
The team doesn't know the purpose of the Greek-originated site, whether a guard tower protecting a commercial route that brought Dead Sea salt and bitumen to ports, or maybe even just a mountaintop monument. The team calls it an 'enthralling historical mystery' that the excavation is helping unravel.
Leading theories include that the building was a fortress to defend the road, but it also could have served to house tax collectors working as travelers passed them. The team believes it was later reused as a monumental tomb.
'At first, we thought the site could be just a tomb, but later, we noticed the shape of the original walls, and we understood that the structure was a building,' Eitan Klein, one of the three lead archaeologists on the excavation, told The Times of Israel. 'Eventually, we identified it as a tower or fortress dating back to the Hellenistic period, or 2,200 years ago.'
The Ptolemaic coins helped date the building. The team also found coins from the Seleucid kingdom, which led Israel after Ptolemaic rule, likely putting the building in use during the third and first half of the second centuries B.C.
The Seleucid-era coins, minted under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who Judah Maccabee defeated in 164 B.C., showed the longevity of the site, but Klein said there was no evidence hinting at why the building was vacated, although it collapsed at some point. Evidence shows that during Roman times the building was reused as a monumental grave, likely because of its picturesque location atop a hill. Looters largely emptied the grave portion of the site.
'The Judean Desert survey is one of the most important archaeological operations ever undertaken in the state of Israel's history,' Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a statement. 'The discoveries are exciting and even emotional, and their significance for archaeological and historical research is enormous.'
Research into what is written on the papyrus documents hasn't yet started, but Klein believes it could be part of tax documents. 'Finding written records from such a long time ago is very rare,' he said, 'and the dream of every archaeologist.'
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Boston Globe
17 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Recipe: Fill your own wraps with Greek salad and tuck in delicious pan-seared halloumi
4. Lift the bottom edge of the wrap and fold it over the filling. Fold in the sides until they almost meet in the center. Roll the wrap away from you to form a package that contains the filling tightly. Cut it in half crosswise at an angle and transfer to a plate. Fill and fold the remaining wraps in the same way. 3. Working with one wrap at a time, spread 2 tablespoons of hummus on the bottom third in a line that is 3 inches from the bottom edge. Leave a gap of 2 inches on each side for folding inward later. With a slotted spoon, place about 1/2 cup of the salad on the hummus. Place 2 slices of halloumi on top. Add mint and parsley leaves. Sprinkle with extra sumac. 2. Wipe out the pan. Set it over medium heat. Heat each wrap for about 10 seconds, or until warm and pliable. 1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the halloumi slices and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, or until they are golden. Remove the pan from the heat. 1. In a bowl large enough to hold all the salad ingredients, whisk the vinegar, a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and sumac. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Wraps are common at almost every lunch counter, but you'll embark on a whole new flavor adventure when you create your own at home. This wrap, inside lavash or large flour tortillas, holds creamy hummus, a Greek salad, and golden halloumi cheese. Halloumi is a semi-hard, salty, and tangy cheese originally made in Cyprus from sheep's milk, now made all over the Eastern Mediterranean with sheep, cow, and goat's milk. Because it has a high melting point, halloumi can be fried or grilled until it turns brown and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy in the middle. Sheer magic! In this wrap, pair it with your favorite homemade or store-bought hummus and a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and sumac. You can find ground sumac, made from the dried berries of the sumac plant, in most Middle Eastern grocery stores. The deep red powder is packed with a tart, lemony flavor, worth buying to use later in rubs or marinades or sprinkling on salads. Add fresh oregano, mint, and parsley and you have a party of tastes and textures wrapped up in a handy package. Serves 4 Wraps are common at almost every lunch counter, but you'll embark on a whole new flavor adventure when you create your own at home. This wrap, inside lavash or large flour tortillas, holds creamy hummus, a Greek salad, and golden halloumi cheese. Halloumi is a semi-hard, salty, and tangy cheese originally made in Cyprus from sheep's milk, now made all over the Eastern Mediterranean with sheep, cow, and goat's milk. Because it has a high melting point, halloumi can be fried or grilled until it turns brown and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy in the middle. Sheer magic! In this wrap, pair it with your favorite homemade or store-bought hummus and a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and sumac. You can find ground sumac, made from the dried berries of the sumac plant, in most Middle Eastern grocery stores. The deep red powder is packed with a tart, lemony flavor, worth buying to use later in rubs or marinades or sprinkling on salads. Add fresh oregano, mint, and parsley and you have a party of tastes and textures wrapped up in a handy package. SALAD 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste ½ teaspoon ground sumac 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 small cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1/2 pint) ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved if large 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 1. In a bowl large enough to hold all the salad ingredients, whisk the vinegar, a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and sumac. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. 2. Fold in the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, onion, olives, and oregano. WRAPS 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 package (8 ounces) halloumi, cut into 8 slices and patted dry if wet 4 round lavash wraps (10 inches to 12 inches) or burrito-size flour tortillas 1 cup hummus ½ bunch fresh mint, leaves removed ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed Extra sumac (for sprinkling) 1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the halloumi slices and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, or until they are golden. Remove the pan from the heat. 2. Wipe out the pan. Set it over medium heat. Heat each wrap for about 10 seconds, or until warm and pliable. 3. Working with one wrap at a time, spread 2 tablespoons of hummus on the bottom third in a line that is 3 inches from the bottom edge. Leave a gap of 2 inches on each side for folding inward later. With a slotted spoon, place about 1/2 cup of the salad on the hummus. Place 2 slices of halloumi on top. Add mint and parsley leaves. Sprinkle with extra sumac.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago fire: Flaming saganaki sparks interest worldwide decades after its Greektown origin
Last winter, at Chicago's Greek Islands (200 S. Halsted St.), our Greektown dinner started with a bang — more accurately, a whoosh. A server carried a small black pan of blazing cheese to the table as startled diners burst into applause for what is the Windy City's notoriously combustible appetizer: flaming saganaki. In Chicago, the dish is a ritual. It's dramatic, it's delicious, and — let's be honest — it's also a little absurd in the best possible way. The word saganaki comes from sagani, a small, two-handled Greek pan. In Greece, the dish is straightforward: firm, dry cheeses such as kasseri, feta or halloumi are pan-fried until golden. No fire. No flair. Just cheese doing what cheese does best, served with crusty bread. In Chicago, we lightly coat the square or triangular cut of cheese in flour and fry it in a little olive oil until crisp and golden. Then we flip it once, warm it through, splash it with brandy (usually ouzo or Metaxa), light it up, and before setting it on the table, flamboyantly extinguish the flames with a lemon squeeze and a hearty shout of 'Opa!' That word — part cheer, part celebration, part call to 'let's dance!' — adds the perfect exclamation point. So, where did this fiery tradition begin? Depends on whom you ask. Chris Liakouras of the now-shuttered Parthenon restaurant claimed in a 1979 Tribune interview that he invented flaming saganaki in 1968. He described sitting at a table with three friends when the idea for a new menu item was born. 'Why don't you try flaming the cheese?' one of the ladies suggested. And just like that, an appetizer exploded into legend. But Petros Kogeones of Diana's, another Greektown fixture, had a different story. In 1991, he told the Tribune that he and his brother were flambéing cheese as far back as the early 1960s. According to Kogeones, they'd set up tables outside their family grocery, splash brandy on sizzling cheese, light it all on fire, and shout 'Opa!' Eventually, perhaps to stake his claim, Kogeones even renamed the restaurant Diana's Opa. Regardless of who struck the first match to brandy-doused cheese, one thing is clear: Flaming saganaki was a hit. And honestly, when we're traveling and we order saganaki, we're always a little disappointed when it doesn't arrive in a ball of fire. There is, however, increasingly little chance of being served saganaki sans flames, at least in the U.S.: Restaurants from Brooklyn to Malibu are figuring out that brandy and a match might be the not-so-secret ingredients to serving a lot of the crowd-pleasing saganaki. 'The flames were a smart marketing idea,' says Louie Alexakis, owner of the Avli restaurants in Chicago. 'In the 1950s and '60s, a lot of Greek restaurant workers in Chicago had fine dining backgrounds. They saw the wow factor of tableside flambé — things like crepes Suzette or bananas Foster. Flaming cheese was the next step.' Alexakis still flames saganaki at Avli, but also offers a more modern take: saganaki served with spiced fig chutney — still delicious, and less likely to set off the sprinklers. Not everyone is on board with this fiery New World opener to a traditional Greek dinner in Chicagoland. Ted Maglaris, founder of Mana in LaGrange (88 LaGrange Road), said, 'We chose not to flame our pan-fried saganaki but rather to honor the traditional Greek preparation, inspired by recipes from mothers in Greece, which is the inspiration for our restaurant's name, Mana. Flaming saganaki is a relatively recent tradition that began in Chicago, not in Greece. Our goal is to provide an authentic Greek experience, staying true to how saganaki is traditionally enjoyed in Greece.' Flashback: Memories of when Greektown was 'a mile long and 24 hours'With the current eagerness to sample 'authentic' preparations of Greek, Italian, Mexican and other traditional national foods, it's understandable that some restaurants might prefer to serve saganaki the way their mothers and grandmothers did, no matches or accelerants required. Other restaurants may be toning down the theatrics for safety reasons — turns out, flaming cheese and crowded dining rooms make for a risky combination. Somewhat surprisingly, flaming saganaki is now also catching on in Greece, especially in tourist-heavy restaurants, such as the Athens Yacht Club. Though such fiery presentations of cheese are not common in Greece, some travelers have come to expect saganaki to be flaming. And who can blame them? There's something undeniably fun about turning a simple cheese dish into a full-blown pyrotechnic display. Flaming saganaki isn't just food — it's dinner, entertainment, and a tiny adrenaline rush all in one.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Mary Manios, Warren, Ohio
WARREN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) — Mary Manios, 88, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, Wednesday afternoon, June 4, 2025, at St. Joseph Warren Hospital. Mary was born July 6, 1936, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a daughter of late George and Juanita Mitaras. Find obituaries from your high school Mary graduated as valedictorian of her class from Schenley High School in Pittsburgh. Immediately after graduation, she went to work for the Pittsburgh Pirates as personal secretary to Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Pirates. Her work with the Pirates and Mr. Rickey were some of the most memorable years of her life, where she formed lifelong relationships with people from the Pirates organization. While living in Pittsburgh, Mary met the love of her life, Franklin Manios, during a church outing. Shortly after, the two were married at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Upon moving to Warren, Mary worked briefly for Warren Savings and Loan. She then focused her time helping develop the filing system for her husband's business, Franklin Pharmacy in Warren. Mary was a key factor in the pharmacy's continued success because of her organizational skills. Mary enjoyed playing cards, getting together with friends, and listening and dancing to Greek music. If there was one thing she was great at, it was throwing parties and weddings. Mary also loved traveling, having traveled the world with her husband, Frank, through AHEPA and other different organizations. She particularly enjoyed trips to Greece, where she connected with her relatives and learned about her heritage. Mary was known for driving her three children and mother across the United States to sightsee and learn about different landmarks. One of her favorite destinations was her condo in Clearwater Beach, Florida. She was also an avid Pittsburgh sports fan, attending many Steelers, Pirates and University of Pittsburgh games, including some Super Bowls and championships. If she wasn't at a game, she was eagerly watching on TV. Mary's most important role was being a homemaker. She enjoyed sewing and annually made her children's Halloween costumes. Mary enjoyed preparing Greek delicacies for family and friends, especially her pastichio, tiropita (cheese pie) and her famous Greek spaghetti and rigatoni. She was an avid reader of books and encouraged her kids to always read and keep learning. She was an exceptional writer and had beautiful penmanship, writing the most beautiful cards and letters. Mary crafted most of her husband, Frank's, speeches for volunteer activities, which she would proofread and rehearse with him. She was also an advanced pianist and enjoyed playing the piano in her was a lifelong member of The Daughters of Penelope, Philoptochos Society of St. Demetrios and Trumbull County Pharmaceutical Wives Auxiliary. She was dedicated to living her life according to her Greek Orthodox faith. Mary faithfully read the Bible and attended church. She was dedicated to her family and the hobbies and interests of her children and grandchildren became her own. Mary's loving presence will be missed by all who knew her. Mary was a loving wife and will always be remembered by her husband of 70 years, Franklin R. Manios of Warren. She will be dearly missed by her children, Irene H. (Dr. Patsy) Buccino of Poland, Lee F. (Judy) Manios of Warren and Juanita G. Manios (companion, Theodore Powers) of Warren; grandchildren, Danny Buccino, Maria Stroup, Frankie Manios and David Manios; niece, Trina (Greg) Baldwin; and nephew, Lee Michael Manios. Besides her loving parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, Mary was preceded in death by her infant sister, Eleni; many loved cousins, especially Helen Florent, whom she considered a sister; and a brother-in-law, Michael (Sonia) Manios. Family and friends may visit and pay tribute to Mary 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 429 High St. NE, Warren, OH 44481. A funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Constantine Valantasis and the Rev. Demetri Constantine presiding. Burial will follow in Oakwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mary's name to St.. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 429 High St. NE, Warren, OH 44481; or to Mercy Health Hospice of the Valley. Special thanks to the staff, doctors and nurses at St. Joseph Warren Hospital and to Mercy Health Hospice of the Valley. Very special thanks to all of Mary's caregivers and friends who helped take such good care of her. She loved you all, as well as Fr. Constantine Valantasis. Arrangements are being handled by the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Manios, please visit our floral 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
