I found two recent articles from Haaretz and The Times of Israel concerning a claim being made for discovering the oldest example of the proto-Hebraic text. The discovery is a lead tablet containing a formulaic curse or defixio. The artefact contains the tetragrammaton YHWH and was discovered at Mount Ebal. The writing, also known as Sinaitic or Canaanite script, dates to the late Bronze Age - placing it to around 1300-1200 BCE.
If this artefact is entirely genuine then this would make the find the earliest such example to be uncovered in that region. The 2 x 2 cm item was found on a spoil heap from a previous 1980s dig and was discovered by the process of wet sifting.
However, questions start to accumulate.
And even if the item is entirely genuine what additional light does it actually shed on this group at this period? Claims that it shows the early Israelites were literate are somewhat over-extended.
The two articles may be found here: https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/...bal-1.10696926
And here:https://www.timesofisrael.com/archae...e-name-of-god/
If this artefact is entirely genuine then this would make the find the earliest such example to be uncovered in that region. The 2 x 2 cm item was found on a spoil heap from a previous 1980s dig and was discovered by the process of wet sifting.
However, questions start to accumulate.
- Is the curse actually Israelite as the team claims?
- Why lead? Lead curse tablets are more usually associated with the classical period.
- Why was a member of a nomadic tribe carrying lead?
- From where did they get it? [The lead has been analysed and found to be consistent with ore from Greece and we know that trade in the Mediterranean at this period was widespread]
- Was the lead accidentally discovered by some tribesperson?
- Why is the team reluctant to release any clear images and scans of this inscription to permit other scholarly comment?
- Why did the 1980s dig miss this item? Why was the spoil heap not sifted and re-sifted?
- Is the discovery a little too convenient?
And even if the item is entirely genuine what additional light does it actually shed on this group at this period? Claims that it shows the early Israelites were literate are somewhat over-extended.
The two articles may be found here: https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/...bal-1.10696926
And here:https://www.timesofisrael.com/archae...e-name-of-god/
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