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Uzziah Tablet

'Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, king of Judah. Do not open.'

Israel & Judah · inscription, ossuary / tomb · Accepted by scholars · found 1931

Square limestone plaque with four lines of square Hebrew-Aramaic letters
Photo: אחיה פ. at Hebrew Wikipedia The original uploader was אחיה פ. at Hebrew Wikipedia. · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

Found 1931 — Eleazar L. Sukenik, Hebrew University, who recognized it in the collection of the Russian Orthodox Convent of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives

Where Provenance unknown (Jerusalem area; kept on the Mount of Olives) (Israel)

Dates from c. 30–70 CE (refers to the 8th-century king) · Late Second Temple (Herodian) · Divided Kingdom (Uzziah); reburial in the time of Yeshua

Now at Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Names a biblical person Uzziah (Azariah) (1st-century CE reburial plaque, not contemporary)

How Uzziah Tablet was found

The plaque had been in the convent's holdings since the 19th century with no record of where it was found; Sukenik identified and published it in 1931.

What it is

A limestone plaque about 35 cm square with four lines of Aramaic in square Jewish script: 'Hither were brought the bones of Uzziah king of Judah — and not to be opened.' The letter forms date it to the first century CE.

Why it matters for the Bible

2 Chronicles says Uzziah, a leper, was buried apart from the other kings 'in the field of burial'. Seven centuries later, someone — perhaps during Herodian building or a tomb clearance — moved his bones and marked the new grave with this warning. It is the only inscription naming Uzziah, and it shows that his tomb was still remembered and honored in the days of Yeshua.

The Hebrew word: Ooz-zee-YAH-hoo

עֻזִּיָּהוּ

עֻזִּיָּהוּ is pronounced Ooz-zee-YAH-hoo and means Uzziah — 'YHVH is my strength' (Strong's H5818).

People this discovery connects to

Places

Events

Uzziah's leprosy and separate burial · Second Temple period reburial

Uzziah Tablet in Scripture

2 Kings 14:21 First mention of Uzziah in Scripture.

2 Kings 15:5 Uzziah struck with leprosy and living in a separate house until his death.

2 Chronicles 26:23 Uzziah buried in the field of burial 'for he is a leper' — the reason his bones were apart and later moved.

Questions people ask

What is Uzziah Tablet?
A limestone plaque about 35 cm square with four lines of Aramaic in square Jewish script: 'Hither were brought the bones of Uzziah king of Judah — and not to be opened.' The letter forms date it to the first century CE.

When was Uzziah Tablet discovered?
It was found in 1931 by Eleazar L. Sukenik, Hebrew University, who recognized it in the collection of the Russian Orthodox Convent of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives, at Provenance unknown (Jerusalem area; kept on the Mount of Olives).

Where is Uzziah Tablet today?
Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

Which Bible verses does Uzziah Tablet relate to?
2 Kings 14:21, 2 Kings 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:23.

Related discoveries

Sources

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