Another Archaeological Discovery

Lately I've referred to a number of interesting archaeological finds in the Holy Land and their impact on our understanding of both Scripture and how the early Hebrews lived. The latest find, however is truly remarkable, and it took place in Jerusalem itself.

Excavations conducted by Hebrew University have uncovered a fragment of a clay tablet covered with Akkadian script that dates back to the 14th century B.C. It is the oldest item with writing on it ever found in Jerusalem. This shows that Jerusalem was an important city even before it was conquered by David a good 300 years later. It is also approximately 600 years older than any other written document found in Jerusalem.

The high quality of the fragment and the writing on it have convinced the archaeologists involved that it likely had a royal connection. Prof. Wayne Horowitz, a scholar of Assyriology at Hebrew University, assisted by Dr. Takayoshi Oshima, were able to decipher the script. Horowitz stated, "What we can see is that the piece was written in very good script and the tablet was constructed very well. This indicates that the person responsible for creating the tablet was a first-class scribe. In those days, you would expect to find a first-class scribe only in a large, important place.” He indicated that this in itself shows that Jerusalem at the time was no primitive village, but a major city.

Where there is one fragment, there are likely many more. I wouldn't be surprised if the excavations turn up additional fragments covered in script. To read more about this remarkable find, click here.