| A tiny fragment told a story of Biblical proportions. Archaeologists in Jerusalem unearthed a 2,700-year-old Assyrian inscription in clay that could shine a light on key events detailed in the Old Testament. The 1-inch pottery fragment is part of a seal that was used to authenticate official documents. It was found in a drainage canal at Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. This is the first time that evidence of relations between the Assyrian Empire and the Kingdom of Judah had been uncovered in the city. |  |
 | By analyzing the clay, researchers were able to trace the shard’s origin to the Tigris basin region where several Assyrian hubs were located. It was inscribed with Akkadian cuneiform — the world’s oldest written Semitic language. The ancient text is a complaint by the Assyrians over a delayed tax payment by Judah that had been due on the Av, the 11th month of the Hebrew calendar. It was an ancient tax notice from the Assyrian emperor to a Judean king, which rang similar to a Biblical account.
In II Kings 18 and 19, during the reign of Judah’s King Hezekiah, “King Sennacherib of Assyria marched against all the fortified towns of Judah and seized them.” “King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: ‘I have done wrong; withdraw from me; and I shall bear whatever you impose on me,'” the excerpt read. “So the king of Assyria imposed upon King Hezekiah of Judah a payment of 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold.” |
Experts were able to date the artifact to between the end of the 8th century and the middle of the 7th century BCE. The tiny shard is evidence of the Hezekiah revolt against Assyrian King Sennacherib. The fragment’s discovery proves how even the tiniest artifacts can provide essential historical evidence.
No comments:
Post a Comment