Discovery in Jerusalem: Oldest Writing Ever Found There Unearthed

Jerusalem Post via A Sacred Page ^ | 07-11-10 | Jerusalem Post

[Salvation]

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Discovery in Jerusalem: Oldest Writing Ever Found There Unearthed

From the Jerusalem Post:

Hebrew University excavations recently unearthed a clay fragment dating back to the 14th century BCE, said to be the oldest written document ever found in Jerusalem.

The tiny fragment is only 2 cm. by 2.8 cm. in surface area and 1 cm. thick and appears to have once been part of a larger tablet. Researchers say the ancient fragment testifies to Jerusalem’s importance as a major city late in the Bronze Age, long before it was conquered by King David.

The minuscule fragment contains Akkadian words written in ancient cuneiform symbols. Researchers say that while the symbols appear to be insignificant, containing simply the words “you,” “you were,” “them,” “to do,” and “later,” the high quality of the writing indicates that it was written by a highly skilled scribe. Such a revelation would mean that the piece was likely written for tablets that were part of a royal household.

[. . .]

The most ancient piece of writing found in Jerusalem before the Ophel fragment was a tablet unearthed in the Shiloah water in the City of David, dating back to the eighth century BCE – nearly 600 years “younger” than the Ophel find.

Hebrew University Prof. Wayne Horowitz, a scholar of Assyriology, deciphered the script with the assistance of his former graduate student Dr. Takayoshi Oshima. Horowitz said that while the script was too broken to get context out of it, the quality of the writing gave some indication of the creator’s pedigree.

“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 said.

According to Horowitz, the high quality of the tablet piece indicates that it was most likely part of a message sent from a then-king of Jerusalem to the pharaoh in Egypt.

Horowitz said that the fragment, which is made of Jerusalem clay, indicated that Jerusalem was one of the central cities of the area at the time.

“This shows Jerusalem was not a provincial backwater, [but] one of the main cities of the area,” he said.

Mazar called the fragment “one of the most important finds we’ve ever had” and said she hoped it would lead to further big discoveries.

[ . . . ]

(H/T Jim West).

Posted by Michael Barber at 9:54 PM 1 comments

[Salvation]

I'm not much into all this digging and stuff, but this is fascinating.

[Salvation]

Ping!

[SkyDancer]

What I constantly find facinating is this BCE stuff ... Before The Common Era? What common era??? Just another way to ignore the birth of Jesus ....we’ve got BCE and CE ....

[SkyDancer]

...

second post: spelled that fascinating wrong ....

[Soothesayer9]

What I constantly find facinating is this BCE stuff ... Before The Common Era? What common era??? Just another way to ignore the birth of Jesus ....we’ve got BCE and CE

I was thinking the same thing. No doubt some would like to erase the Lord's name completely from the writings of history. I don't think they will succeed! :)

[madison10]

I see nothing wrong with using BCE. Jewish people and their history started way before the birth of Christ — AD and BC. They aren’t exactly “ignoring” His birth, it just doesn’t matter enough to use the Western abbreviations.

[Sacajaweau]

Translation:

Hello mudda, hello fodda, here I am at Camp Granada.....

[Uri’el-2012]

What I constantly find facinating is this BCE stuff ... Before The Common Era? What common era??? Just another way to ignore the birth of Jesus ....we’ve got BCE and CE ....

If you want it is the Christian Era and Before Christian Era.

You don't seem to understand how blasphemous it is suggest that YHvH did not exist before 3 BCE.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[tang-soo]

It was a post card to Pharaoh informing him of their forwarding address.

[Tainan]

When “you” are hot and tired,
Because “you were” slaving all day,
Ask “them” “to do” you a favor and give you a cold Akkadia beer now rather than “later”.

Akkadia Beer...Because you deserve a good beer!

[tang-soo]

I was thinking the same thing. No doubt some would like to erase the Lord's name completely from the writings of history. I don't think they will succeed!

He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand -- Daniel 7:25 (ESV)

This is conjecture, but I believe the above passage from Daniel that speaks of the AC where I think its possible he will try to do on a global scale what is currently only adopted by historical academics. Think of it, every time someone states the year (at least in the western world), whether that is the intent or not, they are declaring the authority and/or the remembrance of Jesus Christ.

[maxwellsmart_agent]

What is the tab in the cronolgy that divides ‘Before the Common Era’ from the ‘Common Era’? This is silly stuff. Leonard Nemoy keeps doing it on the TV, but it is still the old definition to me. It blows to hell every historical article I read. I feel disgusted and just close up the paper when I read BCE or CE. What is it about these deconstructionalists that they are continually after convention. In my old neighborhood, I was standing talking to a neighbor who remarked about the color several people in the neighborhood had painted their houses. I told him ‘**** most men don’t worry about those things. That’s what’s going on here. ‘AD’ & ‘BC’ have been acceptable for a lot of years. Why are a few mal-contents after them? Anti-something I guess.

[Jim W N]

Just another way to ignore the birth of Jesus ....we’ve got BCE and CE...I don't think they will succeed!

Biblical indications that they will succeed, but only briefly, during the short but hellish Tribulation.

[Jim W N]

I think B.C. means “Before Christ,” not before the Creator God.

[LibLieSlayer]

I ignore their terminology and Pluto is a planet.

LLS

[Mikey_1962]

BCE... maybe written by a “a scholar of Assyriology”.

While I know that is some one who studies ancient Assyria, my inner 14 year old loves the word “assyriology”.

[Jim W N]

Is this saying,

"The oldest writings ever found were found in Jerusalem recently," or

"The oldest writings ever found in Jerusalem were found recently"?

[SkyDancer]

I like the “Before The Christian Era” better and CE as Christian Era ... yep, that’ll do it ....

[SunkenCiv]

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[Jim W N]

The year 1900 marked the end of CE and the beginning of ACE (”After The Christian Era”).