Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Location

JERI0008

Judaea. Jericho. 5 CE to 70 CE. Soft limestone ossuary with finely incised ornamentation. Funerary.
Transcription

ἸωέζροςἸωέζροςἸσμαήλουἸωέζρος Ἰσμαήλου

Translation

Joezer. Joezer, son of Ismael. Joezer, son of Ismael

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Unfinished ossuary has traces of red wash and low feet. Height describes that of chest plus that of vaulted lid with fingergrips. Ornamentation on the chest's front side consists of three metopes in zigzag frames, each containing a six-petalled rosette within a zigzag circle. Zigzag lines overlay petals and fill some spaces between petals in central and right-hand metopes; zigzags link circles to corners of metopes. Ornamentation on the chest's left and right sides is similar; a zigzag frame contains a six-petalled rosette within a zigzag circle. The deceased's name is inscribed three times, once each between the central and right-hand metopes, on the chest's back side, and on the underside of the lid. The spelling Ἰωέζρος is consistent throughout the tomb group, with the exception of two instances of Ἰοέζρος; both differ considerably from spellings Ἰωζάαρ and Ἰωζάρα in the Septuagint and Ἰώζαρος, Ἰόζαρος and Ἰωάζαρος in Josephus, but all represent יועזר, a contraction of יהועזר. The plene form is not recorded at all in Talmudic literature and the contraction appears only once. Hachlili discusses some parallels for Ἰσμάηλος (see bibliography); additionally, the name occurs in second to first century BCE Egypt, in the Dead Sea documents, in priestly and rabbinic families of Jerusalem, commonly, as the name of two first century BCE high priests, and elsewhere, including on two ossuaries. Repetition of the name of the deceased may express grief of the mourner(s) or improve upon an unsatisfactory first inscription.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 25+4 cm; W: 54 cm; D: 22 cm

Date

5 CE to 70 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • zigzag frames front, right and left sides of chest

  • zigzags linking circles to corners of metopes

  • metopes within frames on front side

  • zigzag lines overlaying and between some petals on front side

  • zigzag circles encircling rosettes

  • encircled six-petalled rosettes in metopes and on left and right sides of chest

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
  • Hachlili, Rachel. “The Goliath Family in Jericho: Funerary Inscriptions from a First-Century A.D. Jewish Monumental Tomb.” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 235, no. Summer (1979): 31–66.
    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," JERI0008, 16 June 2026. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89