Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions
The prophet's name inked on a sherd in a ninth-century house near Abel-meholah
Found 2013 — Amihai Mazar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Tel Rehov excavations 1997–2012)
Where Tel Rehov, Beth-Shean Valley, Israel (Israel)
Dates from c. 850–830 BCE · Iron Age IIA–B (Stratum IV) · Divided Kingdom (Elisha; Jehu's revolt)
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority; Tel Rehov finds exhibited in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem and the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv
Names a biblical person Elisha (reading 'lysh' and identification with the prophet speculative)
How Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions was found
A red-ink inscription on a potsherd was found in a room of a well-built two-wing house (Building CP) in the last Iron IIA city, along with a pottery altar; three other inscriptions naming 'Nimshi' came from the same and nearby buildings and from an apiary area.
What it is
A sherd bearing five Paleo-Hebrew letters in red ink read as 'lysh' — Elisha — from a house with cultic features. Nearby, a large storage jar and two other sherds carry the rare name 'Nimshi' (nmsh), the name of Jehu's father or grandfather, in the same ninth-century layer.
Why it matters for the Bible
Rehov lies a few kilometers from Abel-meholah, Elisha's home town, and the layer dates to the prophet's lifetime. The excavator suggests the house may have belonged to a prophetic circle and even to Elisha himself; the Nimshi jars show that Jehu's family name was at home in this valley, fitting 1 Kings 19:16, where Elisha is told to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi. Yet the name Elisha was not unique, the letters are partly reconstructed, and no text says a prophet lived there — so this is suggestive, not proof.
The Hebrew word: nah-VEE
נָבִיא
נָבִיא is pronounced nah-VEE and means prophet (Strong's H5030).
People this discovery connects to
- Elisha — אֱלִישָׁע (E-lee-SHAH) — my God is salvation
- Nimshi — נִמְשִׁי (Nim-SHEE) — drawn out (uncertain)
Places
- Rehob — רְחוֹב (Re-CHOVE) — broad place; street
- Abel-meholah — אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה (Ah-VEL Me-cho-LAH) — meadow of dancing
Events
Elisha's ministry · Anointing of Jehu son of Nimshi
Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions in Scripture
1 Kings 4:12 Names Abel-meholah in the Beth-Shean district where Tel Rehov lies.
1 Kings 19:16 Elisha of Abel-meholah is to be anointed prophet and Jehu son of Nimshi king — both names surface at nearby Rehov. (First mention of Elisha.)
2 Kings 9:1-3 Elisha sends a disciple to anoint Jehu 'son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi'.
Questions people ask
What is Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions?
A sherd bearing five Paleo-Hebrew letters in red ink read as 'lysh' — Elisha — from a house with cultic features. Nearby, a large storage jar and two other sherds carry the rare name 'Nimshi' (nmsh), the name of Jehu's father or grandfather, in the same ninth-century layer.
When was Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions discovered?
It was found in 2013 by Amihai Mazar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Tel Rehov excavations 1997–2012), at Tel Rehov, Beth-Shean Valley, Israel.
Where is Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions today?
Israel Antiquities Authority; Tel Rehov finds exhibited in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem and the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv.
Which Bible verses does Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions relate to?
1 Kings 4:12, 1 Kings 19:16, 2 Kings 9:1-3.
Is Tel Rehov 'Elisha' Ostracon and Nimshi Inscriptions authentic?
The excavation and inscriptions are secure; the link to the prophet Elisha personally is a hypothesis that many scholars consider unproven.
Related discoveries
- דְּבַשׁTel Rehov ApiaryThe oldest industrial beehives ever found, in a 'land of honey'
- בָּמָהTel Rehov Open-Air Sanctuary and Horned Clay AltarsNeighborhood worship in the Northern Kingdom: a small bamah and dozens of pottery altars
- נָעִיםNain (Nein)The village where Yeshua raised a widow's son
- בּוֹרDothan (Tell Dothan)The town where Yosef's brothers sold him
- בֵּית דָּוִדTel Dan SteleAramean victory inscription naming the 'House of David'
- מֶלֶךְ אֲרָםShalmaneser III's Annals of 841 BCEThe Calah bull and marble-slab texts recording Hazael's defeat and Jehu's tribute
Sources
- Mazar & Ahituv, 'Tel Rehov in the Tenth–Ninth Centuries BCE' and 'Inscriptions from Tel Rehov', in Tel Rehov final reports (2020)
- BAS: Tel Rehov House Associated with the Biblical Prophet Elisha
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