Posted on 01/13/2003 10:29:01 AM PST by Nachum
An inscribed stone tablet from the time of Yehoash, King of Judah, has apparently been discovered on the Temple Mount. The black stone tablet, containing ten lines of Phoenician script, describes activities carried out by King Yehoash in the First Temple some 2,700 years ago.
The inscription corresponds to the biblical account as recorded in Kings II 12, including King Yehoash's call to the Cohanim (priests) to collect money from the public for the purpose of renovating the Temple. The inscription details the purchase of wood and "quarried stones," and includes part of a Biblical passage recounting the event.
Nadav Shragai of Haaretz revealed the news of the discovery, and the fact that Israels Geological Institute has found that the stone is not a forgery. The archaeological community is still awaiting further proof that the find is genuine. Archaeologist Dr. Gabi Barkai said, however, that if it is authentic, it is perhaps the most important artifact ever uncovered in the annals of archeology in the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. He said that it would be the earliest known tablet precisely recounting a Biblical event, constituting rare evidence of the existence of the First Temple, which stood on the Temple Mount for over 400 years from the time of King Solomon until its destruction by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.
The stone tablet was analyzed for one year by Israel's Geological Institute, which found that, geologically at least, the tablet could date back to the time of the First Temple. Sources at the Institute say that it would be impossible for the Institute's experts not to recognize a forgery based on the extensive tests that were performed on the stone. A research paper detailing the Institute's findings is to be published in two weeks.
The tablet was uncovered during the illegal construction work by the Moslem Waqf on the Temple Mount. Ironically, the purpose of the Waqfs excavations is to erase all Jewish remains on the Temple Mount Judaisms holiest site, currently the site of a Moslem mosque.
After its discovery, the tablet was apparently sold to an Arab antiquities collector in Israel, represented by Atty. Yitzchak Herzog. Herzog served as Cabinet Secretary under Prime Minister Ehud Barak and is currently a candidate for the Knesset on the Labor party list. The Arab collector offered to sell it to the Israel Museum, but museum officials, doubting its authenticity, refused to purchase it.
How do you say "Hoisted on their own petard" in Arabic?
Get groceries
Have wheels greased on chariot
Check out new slaves in market place
Call new harem girls in for "personal time"
Go on camel cheese diet
· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe · |
|||
Antiquity Journal & archive Archaeologica Archaeology Archaeology Channel BAR Bronze Age Forum Discover Dogpile Eurekalert LiveScience Mirabilis.ca Nat Geographic PhysOrg Science Daily Science News Texas AM Yahoo Excerpt, or Link only? |
|
||
· Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword · |
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.