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Deciphering Jerusalem’s Oldest Written Text

Deciphering Jerusalem’s Oldest Written Text

July 12, 2013

Social Sciences & Humanities

NBC News — Israeli archaeologists say a 3,000-year-old fragment of a ceramic jar found near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, dating back to the days of King David and King Solomon, bears a mysterious inscription that ranks as the earliest alphabetical written text ever found in the city.

The inscription dates back to King David...but what does it say? (Photo: Eilat Mazur/Ouria Tadmor/Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

The inscription dates back to King David…but what does it say? (Photo: Eilat Mazur/Ouria Tadmor/Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

The inscription is incised into the clay of a neckless ceramic jar found at Jerusalem’s Ophel excavation site. The text is in the Canaanite language, which predates Israelite rule and the prevalence of Hebrew script. From left to right, the letters translate to M, Q, P, H, N, possibly L, and N.

The discovery is detailed in the Israel Exploration Journal, written by BGU’s Shmuel Ahituv, professor emeritus in the Department of Bible, Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Hebrew University’s Prof. Eilat Mazar and Dr. David Ben-Shlomo.

Prof. Ahituv, an inscriptions expert, is studying the text. The archaeologist says that combination of letters doesn’t correspond to any known word in west-Semitic languages — and thus, its meaning is unknown.

But Prof. Ahituv suspects that the inscription specifies the contents of the jar or the name of its owner.

Read more on NBCNews.com >>