The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel)
An ink-on-stone Hebrew prophecy from the age of Herod, unprovenanced and much argued over
Found 2000 — Purchased c. 2000 by collector David Jeselsohn from a Jordanian antiquities dealer; published by Ada Yardeni and Binyamin Elizur (2007), popularized by Israel Knohl (2008)
Where Reportedly the Dead Sea's eastern shore (Jordan); findspot unknown (Jordan (reported; unprovenanced))
Dates from Late 1st century BCE – early 1st century CE (by script) · Late Hellenistic to Early Roman · The generation before Yeshua (Jesus)
Now at Private collection of David Jeselsohn (Zurich); displayed at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, in 2013
How The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel) was found
Unprovenanced. Said to come from the eastern shore of the Dead Sea in Jordan; the fine grey stone and soil traces are consistent with that region but nothing is certain. First recognized as important when Yardeni examined photographs and published the text in Cathedra (2007).
What it is
A limestone slab about one metre tall bearing 87 lines of Hebrew written in ink in two columns, a 'Dead Sea Scroll on stone'. The text is an apocalyptic vision in which the angel Gavriel (Gabriel) speaks of Yerushalayim, the 'prince of princes', 'David the servant of YHVH', and a coming deliverance; many lines are faded and broken.
Why it matters for the Bible
If the stone is genuine and Knohl's reading of line 80 ('in three days, live') is right, a Jewish text from before Yeshua already imagined a messianic figure raised after three days. Most epigraphers, including Yardeni, reject that reading (the key word is illegible or reads 'sign'), so the stone is better used to show the intense hope for a Davidic redeemer and for Yerushalayim in the years before the Gospels, the mood that Luke describes among those 'waiting for the consolation of Israel'.
The Hebrew word: chah-ZOHN
חָזוֹן
חָזוֹן is pronounced chah-ZOHN and means vision, revelation (Strong's H2377).
People this discovery connects to
- Gabriel — גַּבְרִיאֵל (gav-ree-EL) — man (warrior) of God
- David — דָּוִד (dah-VEED) — beloved
Places
- Jerusalem — יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (ye-roo-shah-LAH-yim) — foundation of peace
Events
Jewish messianic expectation in the late Second Temple period
The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel) in Scripture
Hosea 6:2 'After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up', the background text for Knohl's disputed 'three days' reading.
Daniel 8:16 Gavriel first appears as the interpreter of visions; the stone is written in the same voice. (First mention of Gabriel.)
Luke 1:26-27 Gavriel announces the Davidic king to Miriam; the stone shows Gavriel already linked with Davidic hope in that era.
Questions people ask
What is The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel)?
A limestone slab about one metre tall bearing 87 lines of Hebrew written in ink in two columns, a 'Dead Sea Scroll on stone'. The text is an apocalyptic vision in which the angel Gavriel (Gabriel) speaks of Yerushalayim, the 'prince of princes', 'David the servant of YHVH', and a coming deliverance; many lines are faded and broken.
When was The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel) discovered?
It was found in 2000 by Purchased c. 2000 by collector David Jeselsohn from a Jordanian antiquities dealer; published by Ada Yardeni and Binyamin Elizur (2007), popularized by Israel Knohl (2008), at Reportedly the Dead Sea's eastern shore (Jordan); findspot unknown.
Where is The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel) today?
Private collection of David Jeselsohn (Zurich); displayed at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, in 2013.
Which Bible verses does The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel) relate to?
Hosea 6:2, Daniel 8:16, Luke 1:26-27.
Is The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel) authentic?
Most scholars accept the stone and ink as ancient on the basis of script, language and patina, but it came through the antiquities market with no findspot. Knohl's 'in three days, live' reading is rejected by the original editors and most epigraphers; the line is damaged.
Related discoveries
- צִקְלַגTel Sera' (Tell esh-Shari'a): Ziklag CandidateAn Egyptian governor's residence and hieratic tax receipts in the town many identify as David's Ziklag
- צְלָעוֹתKhirbet Qeiyafa Model ShrinesTwo miniature shrines with architecture echoing Solomon's Temple
- שַׁעֲרַיִםKhirbet QeiyafaA fortified Judahite city with two gates overlooking the Elah Valley
- אַרְגָּמָןTimna Valley Copper Mines and 'Slaves' Hill'Tenth-century smelting camps and a scrap of royal purple cloth
- גִּיחוֹןGihon Spring Tower and Pool TowerGiant fortifications guarding Jerusalem's only spring
- מִלּוֹאStepped Stone StructureA giant stone rampart on the slope of the City of David, perhaps the biblical Millo
Sources
- Wikipedia, 'Gabriel's Revelation'
- Biblical Archaeology Society, 'Gabriel's Revelation'
- Henze (ed.), Hazon Gabriel: New Readings of the Gabriel Revelation (SBL, 2011)
Open The Gabriel Revelation Stone (Hazon Gabriel) in Hebrew Explorer →