JERUSALEM (AP) — The oldest known masks in the world went on display in Jerusalem on Tuesday in the largest-ever exhibit of the ghoulish faces, believed to have been created in the Holy Land thousands of years before the time of the Bible.

The 11 stone masks, said to have been discovered in the Judean desert and hills near Jerusalem, date back 9,000 years and offer a rare glimpse at some of civilization’s first communal rituals.

Recommended Stories

Model predicts US coronavirus deaths to hit nearly 180,000 by October

House staffers organize anti-Israel protest at US Capitol and urge attendees to cover faces

Exhibition by Jewish museum shows pre-WWII life