Temple Warning Inscription
Greek notice forbidding foreigners to pass the Temple's inner barrier on pain of death
Found 1871 — Charles Clermont-Ganneau (complete stone, 1871); a second fragment found by J. H. Iliffe near the Lions' Gate in 1935 (published 1936)
Where Near the Lions' (St Stephen's) Gate, Jerusalem (Israel)
Dates from c. 20 BCE–70 CE · Early Roman (Herodian) · Second Temple; Paul's arrest
Now at Istanbul Archaeology Museums (complete stone); Israel Museum, Jerusalem (1935 fragment)
How Temple Warning Inscription was found
Clermont-Ganneau found the complete block reused in a wall of a school near the Lions' Gate. It was taken to Istanbul under Ottoman rule. The 1935 fragment, with traces of red paint in the letters, turned up in a tomb outside the same gate.
What it is
A limestone slab about 86 by 57 cm with seven lines of Greek: 'No foreigner is to enter within the balustrade and enclosure around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his death which follows.' Josephus describes such signs on the low wall (soreg) around the inner courts.
Why it matters for the Bible
It shows the deadly seriousness of the Temple's boundary between Jew and Gentile. Paul was nearly killed on the charge of bringing the Greek Trophimus past this barrier (Acts 21), and Ephesians 2:14 speaks of Messiah breaking down 'the dividing wall' — very likely this very soreg.
The Hebrew word: so-REG
סוֹרֵג
סוֹרֵג is pronounced so-REG and means the lattice barrier around the Temple's inner courts (Mishnah Middot 2:3).
People this discovery connects to
- Paul — שָׁאוּל (Sha-OOL) — asked for; Greek Paulos
Places
- Temple — בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (Beit ha-mik-DASH) — house of the sanctuary
Events
Paul's arrest in the Temple (Acts 21) · Gentile exclusion from the inner courts
Temple Warning Inscription in Scripture
Acts 20:4 One of only 3 verses that name Trophimus.
Acts 21:28-29 Paul accused of bringing Greeks into the Temple — the crime this sign warns against.
2 Timothy 4:20 One of only 3 verses that name Trophimus.
Questions people ask
What is Temple Warning Inscription?
A limestone slab about 86 by 57 cm with seven lines of Greek: 'No foreigner is to enter within the balustrade and enclosure around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his death which follows.' Josephus describes such signs on the low wall (soreg) around the inner courts.
When was Temple Warning Inscription discovered?
It was found in 1871 by Charles Clermont-Ganneau (complete stone, 1871); a second fragment found by J. H. Iliffe near the Lions' Gate in 1935 (published 1936), at Near the Lions' (St Stephen's) Gate, Jerusalem.
Where is Temple Warning Inscription today?
Istanbul Archaeology Museums (complete stone); Israel Museum, Jerusalem (1935 fragment).
Which Bible verses does Temple Warning Inscription relate to?
Acts 20:4, Acts 21:28-29, 2 Timothy 4:20.
Related discoveries
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- בֵּימָהGallio Inscription (Delphi)Letter of Emperor Claudius naming Gallio proconsul of Achaia — the anchor date for Paul's ministry
- מָקוֹם תְּפִלָּהLydia's Baptism Site on the Gangites (Zygaktis) RiverThe riverside 'place of prayer' outside Philippi where Europe's first recorded believer was immersed
- דַּמֶּשֶׂקDamascus: Straight Street and the Temple of JupiterThe Roman city grid of Acts 9 and the great temple that became the Umayyad Mosque
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Sources
- Clermont-Ganneau, 'Une stèle du Temple de Jérusalem', Revue archéologique (1872); Iliffe, QDAP 6 (1936)
- Wikipedia: Temple Warning inscription