In Antiquities Authority excavations in the city of David clay crockery dated to the 8th and 7th centuries BC were discovered. One is possibly inscribed with the name a biblical character.
Rina Feingold
In excavations performed by the Antiquities Authority in the area of the Gihon Spring a layer filled with exciting findings was uncovered – in which are thousands of broken pieces of clay crockery, clay candles and figurines. The experts estimate that they are from the end of the first temple period.
One of the most significant discoveries is a clay bowl with an incomplete inscription on it. According to estimations, the name closest to the partial one found on the bowl is Zechariah Ben Benayah.
Due to the lack of some of the letters, the archeologists can’t determine with certainty whether the object belong to the biblical character mentioned in Chronicles.
Antiquities Authority archeologists Joe Uziel and Nachshon Zanton, who discovered the bowl, date the letters inscribed in the clay to the 7-8th century BC, and attribute the bowl to the time between the monarchy of Hezekiah to the destruction of Jerusalem in the days of king Zedekiah.
The purpose of the inscription is not clear, but the archeologists claim that the bowl could have contained an offering, and it is probable that it carried the name of the he who was offering, or he who was receiving the offering.
No comments:
Post a Comment