Trumpeting Place Inscription
'To the place of trumpeting…' — a stone from the Temple's southwest corner tower
Found 1968 — Benjamin Mazar (Hebrew University excavations south of the Temple Mount)
Where Southwest corner of the Temple Mount, Jerusalem (Israel)
Dates from 1st century BCE–70 CE · Early Roman (Herodian) · Second Temple worship
Now at Israel Museum, Jerusalem (replica at the Davidson Center Archaeological Park)
How Trumpeting Place Inscription was found
Found among the heap of stones thrown down by Roman soldiers onto the Herodian street at the southwest corner of the Temple Mount. The block, from a parapet at the top of the wall, is inscribed in Hebrew: 'To the place of trumpeting to…' (le-veit ha-teqi'ah le-ha…).
What it is
A limestone block about 84 cm long with a niche and a Hebrew inscription in square script. It marked the spot where a priest blew the shofar or trumpet to announce the beginning and end of the Sabbath, exactly as Josephus describes.
Why it matters for the Bible
It is one of only two Hebrew inscriptions from the Temple itself, and it shows the top of the wall from which, Josephus says, a priest signaled the Sabbath to the city. It also fixes the height from which the stones fell in 70 CE — a vivid backdrop to Yeshua's words that not one stone would be left standing.
The Hebrew word: te-kee-AH
תְּקִיעָה
תְּקִיעָה is pronounced te-kee-AH and means a trumpet blast (from taqa, to blow) (Strong's H8628).
Places
- Temple Mount — הַר הַבַּיִת (Har ha-BAH-yit) — mountain of the House
Events
Sabbath observance in Jerusalem · Destruction of the Temple (70 CE)
Trumpeting Place Inscription in Scripture
Exodus 19:13 First mention of Trumpet in Scripture.
Numbers 10:10 Trumpets blown over the offerings on appointed days — the priestly duty this stone marked.
Matthew 4:5 The 'pinnacle of the temple' — a corner of the platform high above the street.
Questions people ask
What is Trumpeting Place Inscription?
A limestone block about 84 cm long with a niche and a Hebrew inscription in square script. It marked the spot where a priest blew the shofar or trumpet to announce the beginning and end of the Sabbath, exactly as Josephus describes.
When was Trumpeting Place Inscription discovered?
It was found in 1968 by Benjamin Mazar (Hebrew University excavations south of the Temple Mount), at Southwest corner of the Temple Mount, Jerusalem.
Where is Trumpeting Place Inscription today?
Israel Museum, Jerusalem (replica at the Davidson Center Archaeological Park).
Which Bible verses does Trumpeting Place Inscription relate to?
Exodus 19:13, Numbers 10:10, Matthew 4:5.
Related discoveries
- שַׁעַרRobinson's Arch and Wilson's ArchHerodian bridge and stairway arches that carried worshippers onto the Temple Mount
- הַר הַבַּיִתHerodian Western Wall and Temple Mount PlatformThe retaining walls of Herod's expanded Temple enclosure
- בֵּית יְהוָהArad Ostraca (the Eliashib Archive)Supply orders from a Judean desert fort naming the 'House of YHVH' and the Kittim
- מַצֵּבָהShechem (Tell Balata) Temple-FortressThe great Canaanite temple in the city of Avraham's first altar
- הַמָּקוֹםMount Gerizim Samaritan TempleThe sacred precinct of the Samaritans, rival to Jerusalem's Temple, destroyed by John Hyrcanus
- שֵׁםTemple of Artemis at SardisOne of the largest Greek temples, standing unfinished beside a later church
Sources
- Mazar, The Mountain of the Lord (1975)
- Wikipedia: Trumpeting Place inscription