Original Jerusalem Post Story on Mt Zion Excavation Finds
Stories that appear on-line from print media that have Web pages, which includes every major media source today, have the advantage (or disadvantage) of being edited, changed, and updated instantly. The Jerusalem Post story now on-line on the Mt. Zion Excavation finds that appeared on Wednesday has been quite severely shorted and rewritten for reasons known to the editors, whether space, content, or otherwise. I thought my readers who missed it might like to see the original Jerusalem Post story that was up for a day on July 29, until it was revised over Tisha B’Av. I will paste it in below.
I also wanted to note a comment by Robert Deutsch in the feedback section following the article that I thought was quite insightful. It is no surprise that readers of the Post story immediately suggested the possibility of this text being a forgery. Anyway, here is Deutsch’s observation:
This is the most important inscription discovered this year. It appears on a fragment of a stone chalice which is well dated to the first century, before 70 CE. Many such artifacts were uncovered in supervised and clandestine excavations, always without inscriptions, and their exact use is enigmatic. The inscription may answer and resolve the riddle.
Robert Deutsch – Israel (07/30/2009 19:31)
Here is the original Jerusalem Post story:
“Rare Aramaic Inscription Found in Jerusalem”
(July 29, 2009 at posted at 16:53. Subsequently edited and shortened)A unique ten-line Aramaic inscription on the side of a stone cup commonly used for ritual purity during Second Temple times was recently uncovered during archaeological excavations on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion, it was announced Wednesday. Inscriptions of this kind are extremely rare and only a handful have been found in scientific excavations made within the city.
The archaeological excavations are being carried out within the Gan Sovev Homot Yerushalayim national park, close to the Zion Gate. The work is directed by Professors Shimon Gibson and James Tabor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with the co-ordination of Evyatar Cohen and Dr Tsvika Tsuk of the Israel Parks Authority.
The excavations follow work carried out at the site in the 1970s by Magen Broshi, when a monumental Arabic inscription from the thirteenth century was found. The inscription is due be exhibited in the new archaeological wing to be opened next year at the Israel Museum.
The new Aramaic inscription from the first century CE is currently being deciphered by a team of epigraphic experts in an effort to determine the meaning of the text, which is clear but cryptic.
The dig also produced a sequence of building remains dating back to the First and Second Temple periods through to Byzantine and Early Islamic periods.
From the Second Temple period, archaeologists uncovered a house complex with an mikve (purification pool) with a remarkably well-preserved vaulted ceiling. Inside this house were three bread ovens dating back to the year 70 CE when Titus and the Roman troops stormed the city. Archaeologists believe that this area of the Upper City of Jerusalem served as the priestly quarter of Jerusalem during Second Temple times.
Interesting discoveries including an ornate window screen made of stone supported this claim. Ten murex shells were also found and these were used for producing the argaman dye, which was used for the coloring the priestly vestments at that time.
In addition, a large arched building with a mosaic floor (preserved to a height of three meters) from the Byzantine period was also uncovered. Archaeologists say it may be part of a building complex or street associated with the nearby Church of St Mary.
