Archaeologists Stumble Upon 2000-Year-Old Stone Receipt from Ancient Jerusalem

2000-year-old stone receiptPhoto byIsrael Antiquities Authority/Facebook

In a recent excavation at Jerusalem Walls National Park, an extraordinary discovery was made: a 2,000-year-old receipt written in Hebrew on a stone tablet.

As reported by the Israel Antiquities Authority, the inscription reveals the identity of an individual named "Shimon."

This is the first time such an artifact was found in Jerusalem.

The findings were detailed in an article by Nahshon Szanton, Excavation Director for the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Professor Esther Eshel from Bar Ilan University.

They noted four similar inscriptions in Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh, all dating back to the Early Roman period, associated with financial transactions.

But this newly discovered inscription is the first within the city limits.

The inscription was skillfully carved on a chalkstone slab, initially used as an ossuary, a burial chest. Ossuaries are typically found outside the city but have been discovered within city limits, possibly sold as commodities by merchants.

Consisting of seven partially preserved lines with Hebrew names, letters, and numbers, the inscription includes symbols representing numerical values, denoted by Hebrew letters 'mem' and 'resh', meaning 'money' and 'quarters', respectively.

The discovery was made in the lower city square along the Pilgrimage Road, a major thoroughfare during the Early Roman period, linking the city gate to the Temple Mount.

The inscription complements other findings in the area, highlighting its commercial significance at the time.

The stone tablet was found in a tunnel from a previous excavation. Its dating to the Early Roman period was determined based on script type, the nature of the stone slab, and its resemblance to contemporaneous inscriptions.

Researchers find this seemingly mundane object exciting as it provides insight into daily life in ancient Jerusalem. They emphasize the discovery of a 2,000-year-old Hebrew inscription in Jerusalem sheds light on financial practices and everyday life during the Early Roman period.

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