Research has determined that an ancient crescent-shaped structure in Israel is a monument to a prominent Mesopotamian moon god and not a stone wall like once thought, The Telegraph reported.
Archaeologists first thought the 500-foot long structure, known as Jethro Cairn, was part of a defensive wall for an ancient city when it was discovered near the Sea of Galilee in the early 1900s.
But research presented by doctoral student Ido Wachtel strongly suggests the 5,000-year-old "wall" is really a tribute to an ancient Mesopotamian moon god named "Sin," also known as "Nanna."
"The proposed interpretation for this site is that it constituted a prominent landmark in its natural landscape, serving to mark possession and to assert authority and rights over natural resources by a local rural or pastoral population," Wachtel, a student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, wrote in a summary for a presentation in Switzerland.
A crescent moon is the traditional symbol for Sin, who is usually shown riding a winged bull, according to The Telegraph. The 66-foot-wide monument, which is older than many Egyptian pyramids and even Stonehenge, would have taken an agonizing 35,000 days to build, Wachtel told Live Science. He recently presented his findings at the International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East.
At the time the crescent was built it was located 18 miles from the ancient city of Bet Yareh, which translates to "house of the moon god." Yet there is debate as to whether or not the town was called Bet Yareh 5,000 years ago. The name was found in Jewish rabbinic texts estimated to be only 1,500 years old, according to Live Science.
The monument's name, Jethro Cain, however, is not moon related. It derives from an important prophet named Jethro of the ancient Druze religious sect, Live Science reported.
