Abstract
The excavations under Wilson’s Arch, at the foot of the Temple Mount’s Western Wall (Fig. 1), yielded monumental architectural remains spanning the first century BCE to the late Islamic period. Alongside the significant architectural remains, many small finds were discovered within the fills beneath the arch, reflecting cultural traits of a wide time span. Among these finds is a fourth–third-century BCE administrative Aramaic inscription, incised in mirror writing on a potsherd. This inscription is of great importance as it contributes to our understanding of the development of language and writing in Jerusalem in that period, also reflecting on the scribe’s origin.
| Translated title of the contribution | כתובת ארמית מתחת לקשת וילסון |
|---|---|
| Original language | American English |
| Pages (from-to) | 75-88 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | עתיקות |
| Volume | 106 |
| State | Published - Mar 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:1 Thanks are due to Jan Dušek for his helpful remarks and bibliographic references. 2 The excavations were carried out by Joe Uziel, Tehillah Lieberman and Avraham Solomon, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority (Permit Nos. A-7514, A-7633, A-7900 and A-8205), and funded by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, with the assistance of Vadim Essman (surveying), Bracha Zilber (drafting) and Clara Amit (photography). Special thanks are due to Shimon Cohen, for his help throughout the excavation, and Viviana Moskovitch, for her insightful editing.