Ophel Pithos Inscription
The oldest alphabetic writing found in Jerusalem
Found 2012 — Eilat Mazar (Hebrew University), Ophel excavations; announced 2013
Where The Ophel, between the City of David and the Temple Mount, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) (Israel)
Dates from c. 11th–10th century BCE · Iron Age IIA · Reigns of David and Shlomo (Solomon)
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority / Hebrew University Ophel excavation collection, Jerusalem
How Ophel Pithos Inscription was found
The jar fragment was found with six other large storage jars packed as fill under the floor of a building south of the Temple Mount. The letters were incised on the shoulder before firing.
What it is
A rim-and-shoulder fragment of a big neckless storage jar (pithos) with a row of seven or eight large letters in an early linear alphabetic script. Only part of the line survives. Readings differ widely: some see a Hebrew word for a vessel or a wine label, others a name, and one proposal even reads it as South Arabian script.
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the earliest alphabetic text yet found in Jerusalem, and it dates to the era the Bible assigns to David and Shlomo (Solomon). It cannot be translated with confidence, so it proves nothing about specific biblical events, but it shows that people in tenth-century Jerusalem were labeling goods with writing. Together with the Qeiyafa and Tel Zayit inscriptions it pushes back the evidence for literacy in Judah.
The Hebrew word: OH-fel
עֹפֶל
עֹפֶל is pronounced OH-fel and means the Ophel — the fortified hill of royal Jerusalem (Strong's H6077).
People this discovery connects to
- Solomon — שְׁלֹמֹה (Shlo-MOH) — his peace
Places
- Ophel — עֹפֶל (OH-fel) — hill, mound (the rise between the City of David and the Temple Mount)
Events
Solomon's building on the Ophel and Temple Mount
Ophel Pithos Inscription in Scripture
1 Kings 3:1 Solomon builds his house, the Temple and the wall of Jerusalem; the jar comes from the building zone between palace and Temple.
Nehemiah 3:26 First mention of Ophel in Scripture.
2 Chronicles 27:3 The Ophel wall is later built up by Jotham, naming the area where the jar was found.
Questions people ask
What is Ophel Pithos Inscription?
A rim-and-shoulder fragment of a big neckless storage jar (pithos) with a row of seven or eight large letters in an early linear alphabetic script. Only part of the line survives. Readings differ widely: some see a Hebrew word for a vessel or a wine label, others a name, and one proposal even reads it as South Arabian script.
When was Ophel Pithos Inscription discovered?
It was found in 2012 by Eilat Mazar (Hebrew University), Ophel excavations; announced 2013, at The Ophel, between the City of David and the Temple Mount, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Where is Ophel Pithos Inscription today?
Israel Antiquities Authority / Hebrew University Ophel excavation collection, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Ophel Pithos Inscription relate to?
1 Kings 3:1, Nehemiah 3:26, 2 Chronicles 27:3.
Is Ophel Pithos Inscription authentic?
Date and authenticity are accepted. The language (Hebrew, Phoenician, Canaanite, or South Arabian) and reading are unresolved.
Related discoveries
- חוֹמָהOphel Wall and GatehouseA fortification line south of the Temple Mount attributed to Solomon
- מְנוֹרָהThe Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah MedallionA Byzantine-era hoard with a 10-cm gold medallion showing menorah, shofar and Torah scroll
- יְבוּסִיOphel Cuneiform Tablet FragmentThe oldest written text found in Jerusalem, a scrap of an Amarna-age royal letter
- גְּאֻלָּהOphel Cave of 'Redemption of Zion' CoinsA refuge cave beside the Temple Mount sealed in 70 CE with bronze coins of the revolt's last year
- שְׁבָאAxum Chapel of the TabletEthiopia's claim to hold the Ark of the Covenant
- דְּבַשׁTel Rehov ApiaryThe oldest industrial beehives ever found, in a 'land of honey'
Sources
- E. Mazar, Ben-Shlomo & Ahituv, 'An Inscribed Pithos from the Ophel, Jerusalem', IEJ 63 (2013)
- Wikipedia: Ophel pithos