Teleilat el Ghassul is one of the largest Chalcolithic sites in the levant. It is located in the Jordan Valley, opposite and a little to the south of Jericho, approximately 5-6 kilometers northeast of the Dead Sea. The site was first excaveted the Mallon and Koeppel of the Pontifical Biblical Institute during the years 1928 - 1938.
The animal figure which is the inspiration and the basis for our logo, is a part of "The Star of Ghassul" wall painting discovered by Mallon and Koeppel in 1932. Since its discovery, this mural, was the subject of intense study and discussion. Most scholars agree that the star represents some sort of cosmological map.
'Our' animal figure is sitting between the rays of the top left quadrant of the star. It is heavily stylized and its 'wings' are decorated with a crescent moon and fine white linear and dotted designs reminiscent of constellations.
The Star of Ghassul mural was badly damaged when it was removed from its original site. Our figure is based on a reproduction from the Museum of Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem.
