Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Inscription in Israel

A unique 2,000-year-old stone inscription was unearthed in Israel.

Jerusalem
Archeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority Danit Levy points at a unique stone inscription dating to the Second Temple Period (1st Century CE), mentioning Jerusalem, written in Hebrew letters, and using the spelling as we know it today during the unveiling of the find on October 9, 2018 at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. (GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images)
AFP/Getty Images

A 2,000-year-old stone inscription has been discovered in Israel, and archaeologists are hailing it as a major find. The stone inscription that was unearthed features the first full spelling of “Jerusalem,” according to Fox News. 

The artifact was found last winter during an excavation in the area of Jerusalem’s International Convention Center. The inscription is written in ancient Aramaic, and reads, “Hananiah son of Dodalos of Jerusalem.” It is thought that Hananiah was an ancient artist-potter, writes Fox News. 

The inscription is dated back to the Second Temple Period, or First Century A.D.

“First and Second Temple period inscriptions mentioning Jerusalem are quite rare,” said Dr. Yuval Baruch, Jerusalem regional archaeologist of the IAA and Prof. Ronny Reich of Haifa University, in a statement, according to Fox News. “But even more unique is the complete spelling of the name as we know it today, which usually appears in the shorthand version.”

This is the only known stone inscription of the Second Temple period where the full spelling appears.

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