fats (vs the wheat and olive oil in the Hebrew ostraca). Later an ostracon was found with text in both hieratic and Hebrew-Phoenician signary, both not a bilingual text. Israelite temple The temple at Arad was uncovered by archaeologist Yohanan Aharoni in 1962 who spent the rest of his life investigating it, dying there in the mid-1970s. In the holy of holies of this temple two incense altars and two possible stele or standing stones were found. Unidentified dark material preserved on their upper surfaces was submitted for organic residue analysis and traces of cannabinoids, cannabis, boswellic acid, and norursatriene (which derives from frankincense) were detected. While the use of frankincense for cultic purposes is well-known, this finding is of especial importance insofar as it represents the "first known evidence of hallucinogenic substance found in the Kingdom of Judah." Hellenistic and Roman periods It is believed that several citadels were built one upon the other and existed in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Herod even reconstructed the lower city for the purpose of making bread. The site lasted until the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt 135 CE. Muslim conquest to Abbasid period Tel Arad lay in ruins for 500 years until the Early Islamic period, when the former Roman citadel was rebuilt and remodeled by some prosperous clan in the area and functioned for 200 years until around 861, when there was a breakdown of central authority and a period of widespread rebellion and unrest. The citadel was destroyed and no more structures were built on the site. See also Archaeology of Israel Cities of the ancient Near East Tourism in Israel References Sources External links Tel Arad National Park Pictures of Tel arad Brief pictorial compendium of the Arad Judean Temple National parks of Israel Hebrew Bible cities Torah cities Ancient sites in Israel Prehistoric sites in Israel Former populated places in Southwest Asia Bronze Age sites in Israel Iron Age sites in Israel Former populated places in Israel Protected areas of Southern District (Israel) Buildings and structures in Southern District (Israel) Tells (archaeology) Ancient Jewish settlements of Judaea 1962 archaeological discoveries 1962 in Israel