Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Location

JERI0013

Judaea. Jericho, 5-70 CE. Ossuary. Funerary.
Transcription

Ἰωέζρος Ἰωέζρου Γολιάθου יהועזר בר יהועזר גלית Ἰοέζρος Ἰοέζρου Γολιάθου

Translation

Joezer, son of Joezer, of Goliath. Yeho'ezer, son of Yeho'ezer, Goliath. Joezer, son of Joezer, of Goliath.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Ossuary has red wash and low feet. Height describes that of chest plus that of vaulted lid with fingergrips. A hole is bored into the chest's back side above the left foot; Avigad explains similar holes on another ossuary as outlets for body secretions or for the establishment of contact between body and soil (in accordance with Jerusalem Talmud, Kil'ayim 32b). Ornamentation on the chest's front side consists of two metopes in line frames and a triglyph transformed into a palm tree, with curved lines indicating ascending branches above straight, descending branches (fruit twigs?) and roots indicated by straight lines set at an angle to the trunk. Each metope contains a six-petalled rosette within concentric line circles. Ornamentation on the chest's right and left sides is similar; a line frame contains a six-petalled rosette within concentric line circles. First line appears above the rosette on the chest's right side; second line below it, and last line on the lid's front side (see inscription "jeri0015" for identical positioning and language of inscriptions). The spelling Ἰωέζρος is consistent throughout the tomb group, with the exception of this and one other instance 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. Γολιάθ is the form in the Septuagint, inflected in Josephus as Γολίαθος. Two men in this family bore the name, which has negative connotations among Jews; such derogatory nicknames, often alluding to a physical characteristic, may have originated as terms of abuse but become accepted family names. The name יהועזר is spelled with two ligatures, of heh and vav and of ῾ayin and zayin. The word בר is also spelled with a ligature, of bet and resh. Other instances of a son bearing his father's name are recorded. Repetition of the name of the deceased may express grief of the mourner(s) or improve upon an unsatisfactory first inscription.

Languages

Greek, Hebrew

Dimensions

H: 30+7.5 cm; W: 63 cm; D: 24 cm

Date

5 CE to 70 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • metopes within frames on front side

  • straight lines indicating roots tree

  • concentric line circles encircling rosettes

  • curved lines indicating branches tree

  • fruit twigs(?) tree

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

  • line frames front, right and left sides of chest

  • palm tree in triglyph

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
  • 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
  • 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," JERI0013, 12 June 2026. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89