Archaeologists working in the Judean foothills have discovered an inscription that may bear the name of a biblical judge. The name “Jerubbaal,” a nickname of the biblical judge Gideon, was found inked upon pottery shards. The artifact was dated to the time of the Book of Judges, making it the first hard evidence in support of the biblical text.
According to the Times of Israel, the rare inscription was dated to 1100 BC. The three pottery shards join only a handful of other examples of writing from this era. The team noted that it is possible that the inscription is incomplete, as it is on broken pottery. Still, they believe that “Jerubbaal” is the most logical translation.
In an interview with the Times of Israel, Prof. Christopher Rollston from George Washington University, who deciphered the text, said:
The team noted that although the pottery was branded with his nickname, they don’t know if Gideon actually owned the jug. In fact, it could have been referring to a different Jerubbaal, as the name was in use at the time. Regardless of this, the discovery, published in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, is significant in its corroboration of the bible.
According to UPI, lead archaeologists Yossef Garfinkel and Sa’ar Ganor explained the importance of the find:
Previous to this discovery there were scant examples of writing from this region and era. The team believes the artifact could help us understand the transition from the Canaanite to the Israelite and Judahite cultures.
Find out how this inscription is helping experts better understand ancient cultures at The Times of Israel.
