Iron Age ivories from Jerusalem

This record provides bibliographic details and independent reading notes. The full study was written by the authors listed in the publication details; the link leads to its source.

Prestige objects in an excavation context

The preliminary report presents City of David ivories and compares them with material from major ancient Near Eastern cities. The authors discuss their place in Jerusalem’s elite culture before the destruction of 586 BCE. 1.

Read object and context together: decoration, raw material and position within a room are different kinds of evidence. Artistic resemblance can open discussion of workshops and centres, but alone it does not prove a trade route. A careful comparison separates object description from an account of household status.

The Jerusalem ivories guide expands on prestige, craft and social interpretation. Use the original report for assemblage details and the Jerusalem page to situate the study within the city’s sequence.