A Late Iron Age I/Early Iron Age II Old Canaanite Inscription from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfī/Gath, Israel: Palaeography, Dating, and Historical-Cultural Significance

In this paper, a late Iron Age I/early Iron Age II Old Canaanite inscription from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfī/Gath is presented and discussed. The inscription derives from a clear archaeological context and is written on a fragment of a chronologically indicative, red-slipped and hand-burnished ceramic bowl. We suggest reading the inscription as two personal names, ʾalwt and wlt[...], which we believe are Philistine names of Greek or Anatolian origin. The significance of this inscription is discussed with several points in mind, including the ramifications for dating the typological development and sequence of the alphabet during the early Iron Age; the implications for understanding the origin and development of the Philistine culture; and the problem of the relationship of the personal names in question to the onomasticon of the biblical Philistines.