World News | 2,000-year-old financial records unearthed on Jerusalem pilgrimage route

Jerusalem [Israel]May 21 (ANI/TPS): Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have discovered a remarkable financial record dating back 2,000 years on a pilgrimage route to the City of David, Jerusalem’s main thoroughfare during the Second Temple period.

The find sheds light on commercial activity at the time and offers a rare glimpse into the daily lives of city dwellers.

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Inscriptions found on small steles with letters and numbers are thought to be receipts or payment instructions related to commercial transactions during the Second Temple period. It was discovered in an area known for its bustling commercial activity. The findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed archaeological journal Atiqot.

Excavations at the City of David, funded by the City of David Foundation, revealed inscriptions, including seven partially preserved lines. These lines include Hebrew names with letters and numbers. The name “Shimon” appears at the end of a line, followed by the Hebrew letter “mem”. Other lines contain symbols representing numbers, some with the Hebrew letters “mem” or “resh,” short for “money” and “quarters,” respectively.

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According to Nahshon Szanton, Director of Excavations at the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Professor Esther Eshel of Bar-Ilan University, other similar Hebrew inscriptions have been recorded to date in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, all marking names and numbers on A similar tablet is dated to the Early Roman period. However, this is the first inscription ever found within the city boundaries of Jerusalem.

The researchers believe the inscription was originally inscribed on a chalk slab that was used as an ossuary, a type of burial box commonly used in Jerusalem and Judea during the early Roman period. Although ossuaries were usually located outside the city, their presence within the city suggests that local artisans or shops may have traded them as goods.

The Pilgrimage Route is an ancient and important passage linking the City of David south of the Temple Mount with the gates of the Second Temple. In addition to being a major route of personal pilgrimage, the road was also a hub of commercial activity. The main road is lined with shops, market stalls and businesses catering to the needs of pilgrims and tourists. Merchants and craftsmen would set up their own shops on the side of the road to provide goods, food and various services to passers-by.

An ongoing excavation project led by the Israel Antiquities Authority and supported by the City of David Foundation continues to reveal new archaeological discoveries that contribute to a deeper understanding of Jerusalem’s history.

The use of receipts for business purposes at the time was very similar to modern practice, the researchers said.

“Remarkable finds along the Pilgrimage Route to Jerusalem reveal yet another aspect of Jewish life in the city 2,000 years ago. The Israel Antiquities Authority’s unique excavations in the area position the City of David as a key central narrative in the global history of the Jewish people,” Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, Israel’s heritage minister, said.

Eli Escusido, director of the Antiquities Authority, described the excavation of the Pilgrimage Route as a “flagship project,” saying: “The many discoveries revealed during the excavation reveal the centrality of the path, even in the The same was true during the Second Temple period. With each discovery, our knowledge of the area has grown, revealing the key role the street played in the daily lives of Jerusalemites 2,000 years ago.” (ANI/TPS)

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