The study of the inscribed ossuary lid 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.

Reading a list on stone

The study documents a Second Temple period inscription on a stone ossuary lid from the City of David, Jerusalem. The title and publication details identify the material object behind the discussion: a reused surface bearing writing whose interpretation depends on its physical and archaeological context. 1.

As you follow the proposed reading of names and numerals, ask what is visible, how it is read and how the function of the list is explained. The circumstances of writing, the use of the object and its archaeological context are separate questions. A popular label such as “receipt” opens a question whose justification belongs in the authors’ discussion.

These notes draw on the publication page and abstract. Documentation, decipherment and the full discussion belong to the original study. The linked library article explains how to distinguish a mark, a reading and an interpretation.

Source

Sources and further reading

The research and references behind this page. Rights to external content remain with their owners.

1. 1 A Second Temple Period Inscription on a Stone Ossuary Lid from the City of David, Jerusalem

   Esther Eshel, Nahshon Szanton · 2023 · Checked 10.10.2026