Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Location

JERI0001

Judaea. Jericho. 5 CE to 70 CE. Soft limestone ossuary with chip-carved ornamentation. Funerary.
Transcription

יהוסף בר יתרא ו

Translation

Yehosef, son of Yitro(?) [and(?)

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Fragmentary, partially reconstructed and mostly restored ossuary has inner ledge. Lid is missing. Ornamentation on the chest's front side consists of a metope frame containing a fluted frame with a tomb facade at center, flanked by six-petalled rosettes within concentric line circles. Segments link petal-tips and small dots are drilled between petals. The tomb facade consists of a three-columned porch beneath a zigzag frieze, topped by a gable with a square central acroterium and antae extended upwards to indicate side acroteria. Ornamentation on the chest's right side consists of a six(?)-petalled rosette within concentric line circles; name is inscribed very faintly in the upper-right hand corner. A name at the end of the inscription seems to be missing, with only its initial letter, perhaps a vav, surviving. This ossuary and one from the Kidron Valley, Jerusalem are the earliest instances of the name יתרא in Jewish epigraphy. Here the resh and aleph are regarded as a ligature.

Languages

Aramaic, Hebrew

Dimensions

H: 25 cm; W: 62 cm; D: 21 cm

Date

5 CE to 70 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • drilled dots between petals

  • three-columned porch tomb facade

  • tomb facade within frames

  • concentric line circles encircling rosettes

  • gable above frieze

  • square acroterium atop gable

  • encircled six-petalled rosettes flanking tomb facade

  • metope frame front of chest

  • zigzag frieze above porch

  • extended antae indicating acroteria sides of porch

  • fluted frames within metope frame

  • encircled six(?)-petalled rosette right side of chest

  • concentric line circles encircling rosette on chest's right side

Bibliography

Source of diplomatic

No bibliography available for diplomatic transcription.

Source of transcription

No bibliography available for transcription.

Source of translation

No bibliography available for translation.

Other sources

  • Rahmani, L.Y. A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries in the Collections of the State of Israel. Edited by Ayala Sussmann. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994.
    Zotero
  • Rahmani, L.Y. A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries in the Collections of the State of Israel. Edited by Ayala Sussmann. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994.
    Zotero
  • Rahmani, L.Y. A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries in the Collections of the State of Israel. Edited by Ayala Sussmann. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994.
    Zotero
  • Rahmani, L.Y. A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries in the Collections of the State of Israel. Edited by Ayala Sussmann. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994.
    Zotero
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The project can be cited as:

Satlow, Michael L., ed. 2002 - . “Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine.” Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/PZ1D-ST89

This inscription can be cited as:

"Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine," JERI0001, 7 June 2026. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89