Samaria Ostraca
Wine and oil receipts from the royal storehouse in the days of Jeroboam II
Found 1910 — George Andrew Reisner, Harvard University expedition
Where Sebastia (ancient Samaria), West Bank (West Bank)
Dates from c. 790–750 BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Jeroboam II)
Now at Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Turkey
How Samaria Ostraca was found
Found in the fill of a storehouse building ('Ostraca House') west of the palace on the acropolis of Samaria.
What it is
About 102 potsherds inked in Paleo-Hebrew, of which 63 are readable. Each is a short docket: 'In the tenth year, from Azzah to Gaddiyau, a jar of aged wine' or 'a jar of fine oil', naming the regnal year, the sending village or clan district, the recipient official, and the goods.
Why it matters for the Bible
These are the largest group of Hebrew texts from the northern kingdom and the earliest sizable body of Hebrew writing from any Israelite capital. Their clan names (Abiezer, Helek, Shechem, Noah, Hoglah, Shemida) match the clans of Manasseh listed in Joshua 17, showing the tribal land divisions still worked as tax districts in the eighth century. Personal names split between YHVH-names and Baal-names, illustrating the mixed worship Hosea condemned.
The Hebrew word: YAH-yin yah-SHAHN
יַיִן יָשָׁן
יַיִן יָשָׁן is pronounced YAH-yin yah-SHAHN and means aged (old) wine (Strong's H3196 + H3465).
People this discovery connects to
- Jeroboam II — יָרָבְעָם (Yah-rov-AHM) — may the people increase
Places
- Manasseh (territory) — מְנַשֶּׁה (Me-nah-SHEH) — causing to forget
Events
Royal taxation in Israel under Jeroboam II
Samaria Ostraca in Scripture
Joshua 17:2-3 The clans of Manasseh — Abiezer, Helek, Shechem, Shemida, and Zelophehad's daughters Hoglah and Noah — appear as districts on the ostraca.
1 Kings 13:32 First mention of Samaria in Scripture.
Hosea 2:13 Israel's worship of 'the Baals'; roughly one in ten names on the ostraca is built on Baal.
Questions people ask
What is Samaria Ostraca?
About 102 potsherds inked in Paleo-Hebrew, of which 63 are readable. Each is a short docket: 'In the tenth year, from Azzah to Gaddiyau, a jar of aged wine' or 'a jar of fine oil', naming the regnal year, the sending village or clan district, the recipient official, and the goods.
When was Samaria Ostraca discovered?
It was found in 1910 by George Andrew Reisner, Harvard University expedition, at Sebastia (ancient Samaria), West Bank.
Where is Samaria Ostraca today?
Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Turkey.
Which Bible verses does Samaria Ostraca relate to?
Joshua 17:2-3, 1 Kings 13:32, Hosea 2:13.
Related discoveries
- עֶבֶד הַמֶּלֶךְSeal of Shema, Servant of JeroboamA roaring lion and the name of a royal official of Jeroboam II, from Megiddo
- שֵׁןSamaria IvoriesCarved furniture inlays from the 'ivory house' of Ahab and his successors
- שֶׁמֶרSamaria: The Omride Royal AcropolisOmri's new capital and Ahab's palace on the hill he bought from Shemer
- בְּאֵרJacob's Well at SycharThe deep well near Shechem where Yeshua spoke with the Samaritan woman
- פֶּחָהWadi Daliyeh (Samaria) PapyriLegal documents of Samaria's elite naming a later Sanballat, found with the bones of refugees from Alexander
- חֹתָםTel Hadid Mother-of-Pearl SealA moon-god seal from the Assyrian resettlement of Samaria's hills (published 2026)
Sources
- Reisner, Fisher & Lyon, Harvard Excavations at Samaria 1908–1910 (1924)
- Wikipedia: Samaria Ostraca