A huge 9,000-year-old Neolithic settlement -- the largest ever discovered in Israel, say archaeologists -- is currently being excavated outside Jerusalem, researchers said in mid July 2019. This site, located near the town of Motza, is the "Big Bang" for prehistory settlement research due to its size and the preservation of its material culture, said Jacob Vardi, co-director of the excavations at Motza on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, according to The Times of Israel. Among the many important findings is that 9,000 years ago, the people of the settlement practiced religion. "They carried out rituals and honored their deceased...