Too good to be true? Not necessary!

“Too good to be true?” From the Fall 2024 issue of the Review of Biblical Archaeology, with fragmentary “Hezekiah” inscription at left. Courtesy of the Society of Biblical Archaeology.

In his recent A Review of Biblical Archaeology The essay, “Too Good to Be True? While I agree with some of its points, I clearly cannot with others. Below I consider two texts discussed by Rolston in my essay.

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“Hezekiah” inscription

Scholars Gershon Gale and Eli Shukron recently suggested that a fragmentary slab found in 2008 in the City of David should read, “Hezekiah built a pool in Jerusalem.”[i] In his essay, Rolston objects to this seemingly logical reconstruction of any poorly preserved inscription. In particular, he notes, “scholars propose a restoration Two-thirds of the letters of the root The name ‘Hezekiah’ (ie Heat [sic] And Zen) and Two-thirds of the letters of the root The word ‘pool’ (There is a condition And Race) “(emphasis added).” Rolston claims that two-thirds of the root letters are reconstructed, which is one too many, since the entire personal name (including the theophoric element) is the case. Consequently, half the letters in the name [Ḥz]Qyh[w] Can still be read clearly. If final wow Of the theophoric element was never written (as both Gale and Rolston suggest), even more than half of the letters are extant. Moreover, the horizontal strokes of the letter Zen The right edge of the slab may still be there.[ii] Similarly, in the second line of the inscription, half (instead of only one-third) of the letters of “Pool” ([br]KH) still exists. In the end, though, Gilles and Sharon’s word divorces and the restoration of “Jerusalem” after the letter There is a condition (Hebrew “in”) is a speculative inference, yet it is a logical deduction.

What’s more, the archaeological context of the inscription makes the proposed reading less surprising than Rolston’s. The inscription was found near the rock-cut pool at Jehon Spring, along with pottery and bats dated to the time of Hezekiah (late 8th and early 7th century BCE).[iii] Unlike Rolston, who pays little attention to archaeological context, I believe that it is important to study proven epigraphic material according to the context of his stress. Thus, even if the reading is speculative, knowing that this inscription comes from the Jehon Spring area and was found with other material from Hezekiah’s time makes it reasonable to suggest that it dates to his time.

Various views of the exterior of the lead strip from the mountable. Associates for Biblical Research’s photo.

Mountable lead strip

Rolston’s article also presents the desired discourse rather than mountable “inscriptions.” He specifically targets Jurshon Gale’s interpretation of the folded lead strip interior inscription, which was revealed by tomographic digital imaging (I consciously avoid using the word “tablet” to describe the object). Gale identified 48 paleo-human inscriptions that he believes can be read as short curse inscriptions invoking the Israelite God Yahweh. First, even in the initial publication of the inscription, Scott Stripling and I had already criticized our co-author’s reading and, therefore, presented separate tables that we believed to be more accurate representations of the letters depicted (Rolston conveniently ignores this fact in his article).[iv] But with the evidence of the tomographic scans, as well as the bulges found on the back of the belt, we believe there are some letters and words, including the divine name YHW. It should also be noted that Rolston’s claim that the interior incisions are merely “random scratches, striations, pitting and indentations” is not based on a direct study of the object. Sure, there are bumps and scratches (what else would we expect after nearly 3,000 years?), but raised edges and tool marks indicate genuine human writing. Stripling and I plan to publish more about this evidence and its strip inscription in the near future.

The article also rejects our interpretation of the lead strip by referring to the recent Umayyad shrine Israel Exploration Journal article, which suggests that the object was a folded fishing weight or sinker.[v] But this claim is more obvious than real. Fishing weights have never been found in the central highlands, and the closest parallel shrine reference does not come from outside the Levant at large. He also cited two objectionable parallels with Gaza (also on the coast), while Other similar types are from sites along the coast, including Ashkelon, Deir al-Bala, Akhzio, and Afek. Finally, it should be noted that the mountable strap lacks a sink hole through which a thin rope or cord could pass. Therefore, there is nothing to suggest that the strip was actually a fishing weight.

Ed Note: Essays on biblical history may refer to sites or artifacts from daily fought, annexed, or occupied territories, which may be subject. International laws and conventions On the protection of cultural property.

Peter Gert van der Veen Levantine is Reader in Archeology at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He is an illustrator of ancient Hebrew inscriptions and specializes in the historical significance of controversial finds (including inscribed seals and hooligans) in late Iron Age Israel and Jordan.

Note

[i] See David Shishkoff, “The Reliability of the Bible Further Confirmed After Understanding the King Hezekiah Inscription,” Israel today (Online), November 8, 2022. Importantly, variations of this reading had already been published by the original excavators and others, including myself. See Ronnie Reich and Eli Shukron, “A Fragmentary Paleo-Human Inscription from the City of David, Jerusalem.” Israel Exploration Journal 58.1 (2008), pp. 48–50; Peter van der Veen, “Did Einer Niven Inschrift Aus Jerusalem König Huskie?” Studium Integral Journal 16: 1 (2009), pp. 51–52; and Herschel Shanks, “A Small Piece of the Puzzle,” A Review of Biblical ArchaeologyMarch/April 2009.

[ii] Admittedly, his stance Zen This seems somewhat surprising, as the letter then leans forward. Still kind of Zen Not impossible, and in general the forms and positions of the letter (even in Hezekiah’s time) sometimes differ from each other.

[iii] Peter van der Ven, Dating of Iron Age IIB archaeological horizons in Israel and Judah (Monster: Zaphon, 2020), esp. Pages 19-27.

[iv] Scott Stripling et al. Heritage Science 11.105 (2023), pp. 1–24. See especially pp. 11–14, 16, 18–20 for relevant tables.

[v] Amehai Mazar, “Lead Object from Mountable as Fishing Net Sink,” Israel Exploration Journal 73.2 (2023), pp. 143–152.

This article first appeared in Bible History Daily on November 6, 2024.

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