The Gezer calendar is a small limestone tablet with an early Canaanite inscription discovered in 1908 by Irish archaeologist R. A. Stewart Macalister in the ancient city of Gezer, 20 miles west of Jerusalem. Hebrew has only vestiges of the ancient Semitic noun case system (with nominative, genitive and dative forms), still preserved in classical Arabic and detailed here. The Gezer calendar is currently displayed at the Museum of the Ancient Orient, a Turkish archaeology museum,[10][11] as is the Siloam inscription and other archaeological artifacts unearthed before World War I. They are important in the laws of writing a *Sefer Torah , which must be written on parchment with a quill and indelible ink (the same applies to *tefillin and *mezuzot , with slight variations). This medium spread with the cuneiform script to the Elamites, Hittites, and Canaanites. Known as the Gezer Calendar, the tablet is on display at the Istanbul Museum of Archaeology to this day, and bears the following poetic inscription: Following writing conventions of that period most or all vowels are missing, and there are some linguistic phenomena that need explaining[ii], but overall it can be understood and translated as follows: Moons of gathering (agricultural produce), Moon of reaping (wheat) and measuring (the grain stock). The rest of the months also match the descriptions of Israels traditional agricultural seasons, so that we may interpret the Gezer Calendar as follows: Yarh asf ( ) Moons of gathering (agricultural produce) Tishrei and Heshvan, Yarh zara ( ) Moons of sowing seed Kislev and Tevet, Yarh laqsh ( ) Moons of late (sowing)[iv] Shevat and Adar, Yrah atzd pishta ( ) Moon of harvesting[v] flax Nissan, Yrah qetzr seorm ( ) Moon of harvesting barley Iyar, Yrah qatzr ve-khayl ( ) Moon of (wheat) harvest and measuring (the grain stock) Sivan, Yarh zamr ( ) Moons of the grape harvest[vi] Tammuz and Av, Yrah qaytz ( ) Moon of ripe figs[vii] Ell, The cycle described in the Gezer Calendar can still be observed today: The last rains in Israel do indeed occur around April, so January-March would be a good time to sow seed intended to benefit from them. There is additional evidence that the wordplay in the Northern dialect would likely have not been lost on the Gezer Calendar poet, and may have been intentional: Ahituv notes that in the prophet Amos 8th c. BCE vision of the impending destruction of the Northern Kingdom (8:2), he saw a basket offigs (kluvqaytz;) as a symbol that theendhas come (bha-qtz; ). Cassuto, in: EM, 1 (1955), 7989; W.W. Hallo, in: JBL (1958), 32438; J. Licht and M.D. The improved method was attributed to Eumenes II (197158 B.C.E. If by the end of Adar the barley is not mature enough, a second month of Adar is announced, and only the lunar month thereafter can be Nisan and have Pesah begin at its full moon. from the Judaean Shephelah", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, The Calendar Tablet from Gezer, Adam L Bean, Emmanual School of Religion, Is it Tenable?, Hershel Shanks, Biblical Archaeology Review, Spelling in the Hebrew Bible: Dahood memorial lecture, By Francis I. Andersen, A. 45:2); and the sargel, a sharp instrument for drawing the lines on the parchment or paper. In the left lower edge of the inscription "Aby[]" is written vertically. 11 (12):8) adds carob leaves or cabbage leaves. It was to remain in use until replaced by true paper, brought from China between the seventh and tenth centuries C.E. 36:18), a term whose etymology is uncertain. The dedication is to the Egyptian god Ptah, who is here called by three of his titles, the third of which indicates a cult seat in Ashkelon. All Rights Reserved. In the west, Carthage, rich in inscriptions, became an important center of Phoenician culture, and from there it radiated to Spain, the Balearic islands, and southern France. 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved. There, an American student uncovered a massive pillar base nearly one-meter in diameter. The nature and purpose of the calendar are not clear, and many different explanations have been proposed. All Rights Reserved. To the former belong ink proper (deyo), caustic, red dye, and gum (Shab. ), gives a detailed description of the manufacture of papyrus writing material: The raw material taken from the tall plants some as high as 35 feet consisted of strips cut lengthwise from the pith of the three-sided stalks. In the earlier period, the skin was prepared to receive writing only on the hairy side, though in exceptional cases, such as in a long text, it was inscribed on both sides (Ezek. Ex. 13:24). Corrections? *Macalister in 1908. 2:2). was found that had a red wax surface and on the reverse one in black. 2.2 cm.) There is no explicit biblical reference to writing on leather, nor are there extant leather rolls, prior to those discovered at Qumran. W.F. One turtle-shaped weight found at Ashkelon reads "quarter shekel" (cf. ), where the cache was found. The Kulamuwa inscription in Phoenician from Zenjirli, in southwestern Turkey, celebrates the victory of Kilamuwa over his enemies and records his role in bringing prosperity to his people. The fifth-century Greek historians Herodotus and Ctesias noted that the barbarians continued to use leather for writing, while on the Greek mainland this substance had been replaced by papyrus. The political and cultural break with Mesopotamia, as well as the administrative needs of emerging young societies, accelerated the development of the linear alphabet. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. The Tobiah inscriptions from Araq el-Emir in Transjordan stem typologically from this period. The Ophel Inscription is the oldest ever found in Jerusalem. A tablet of soft limestone inscribed in a paleo-Hebrew script, the Gezer Calendar is one of the oldest known examples of Hebrew writing, dating to the 10th century BCE. Dovers, in: HUCA, 4041 (196970), 139204. The Proto-Canaanite inscriptions on artifacts from Gezer, Lachish, and Shechem ranging from the 17th to the 14th centuries B.C.E. Cross, Jr., in: BASOR, 165 (1962), 3442; idem, in: BA, 26 (1963), 11021; N. Avigad, in: IEJ, 14 (1964), 1934; J. Naveh, in: Leshonenu, 30 (1966), 68. 4:13). Thierry, in: VT, 1 (1951), 1301; F.G. Kenyon, Books and Readers in Ancient Greece and Rome (19512); E.G. Some 80 "private" and about 800 lmlk seal impressions were counted. _was the mining location in the Sinai where the transition from hieroglyphs to an acrophonic system occurred? The earliest mention of a leather writing surface is found in an Egyptian text from the Fourth Dynasty (c. 2550 B.C.E. Perhaps the most famous find to come out of Tell Jezer, however, is the Gezer "calendar," a plaque containing what appear to be a schoolboy's memory exercises. Any tribesman, even a non-priest, could emerge as a literate leader (Josh. . 5. Anxiety was caused by the uncertainty of rain in the rainy season and of dew in. Several different types of writing implements were employed in accordance with the different types of surfaces. GEZER CALENDAR, a Hebrew inscription of seven lines, engraved on a limestone tablet written in ancient Hebrew script; discovered in Gezer by R.A.S. Strips of equal length and quality were then arranged on a flat surface, in the manner of latticework, in a horizontal and vertical layer, the former representing the recto and the latter the verso side of the sheet. The first alphabetic system to emerge was the 22-letter Phoenician script, which appeared by about 1100 B.C.E. Yom Kippur and the beginning of Sukkt are given as the tenth and fifteenth days of the Seventh Month, respectively, with Shemini Atzeret on the day following the seven days of Sukkt (Bemidbar / Numbers 29: 7,12,35). Excavations at Nimrd have also produced inscribed objects (bronzes, ivories, and ostraca) in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Phoenician. These inscriptions are generally called Proto-Canaanite. It is dedicated to Melqart, god of Tyre, and comes from the middle of the ninth century B.C.E. The inscriptions on pottery usually give the owner's name, the capacity of the jar, i.e., bt lmlk, "royal bath," or a dedicatory notice. The importance of Rosh Hodesh Nisan in aligning the lunar and solar cycles, and thus ensuring the proper timing of the holidays, is likely part of what is reflected in the Mishnas statement that the First of Nisan is the New Year for kings and pilgrimage feasts ( ). A similar trend may be noted in other Canaanite cities as well (Beth Shemesh, Taanach, Mount Tabor). 37:16; Hab. LEATHER: O. Schroeder, in: OLZ, 20 (1917), 204; R.P. Oppenheim, Ancient Mesopotamia (1964), 22887; D.R. 10. The so-called "Calendar" narrates the agricultural phases of a year in puzzles, using a poetic language. Aramaic ostraca from En Gedi and Elath from the early fourth century have been published; and from the latter site ostraca in Phoenician and Edomite are known. Selected Answer: Fals e. Selected Answer : Fals e . Since these boards were tied or hinged together forming a diptych, triptych, or polyptych, they may be called the earliest known form of the book. The name Ben Ya'ir (bn y yr) surely refers to Eleazar ben Jair the Zealot leader. From Gezer, in modern-day State of Israel. Furthermore he surmises that when just is written, it actually should be read yarho, his month. ) to the ink, which made it a deep black, and it was therefore also used as boot-blacking (Git. are closely related to the Proto-Sinaitic, while short tablets in a form of the Ugaritic alphabet from Beth-Shemesh, Kawkab al-Haw , and Taanach are from the 14th13th centuries B.C.E. A stylized drawing of these three pieces became the hieroglyphic sign S , meaning "writing" or "scribe." The most impressive known treaty written on stone is the Sefire inscription between Matti'el and Barga'yah (c. 750 B.C.E.) A survey of the ostraca shows that this surface was used for letters, tax dockets, fiscal notices, name lists, and at least one court petition. This large quantity of writing material most likely reflects the extensive use of the alphabetic script by this time in Canaan, which is corroborated by the repeated references to written documents in the story (letters, royal records, and stelae). Egyptian inscriptions have been preserved on wooden statues and sarcophagi, as well as on wooden tablets coated with stucco which were frequently used for school exercises. Three inscriptions in a cave at Khirbat Beit-Lay, south of Jerusalem, are of religious significance since they ask help of YHWH and refer to Judah and Jerusalem. This script as well as an earlier attempt to adapt the cuneiform signs to surfaces other than clay by giving them linear form (personal name incised on a pottery jar from Hazor, arrowhead from Lebanon) did not survive the disappearance of the Babylonian scribal centers in Canaan and Syria toward the end of the Bronze Age. Yigael Yadin and the Solomonic Gate at Gezer. In ancient Israel, this precious metal was employed in Temple ornaments and priestly vestments. The main feature which led Sir Alan Gardiner to discover the transition from hieroglyphs to the acrophonic system was the repetition of a four character word. Incorrect password. Of particular Jewish interest are the *Elephantine papyri (late fifth century). The establishment of the monarchy and the process of urbanization resulted in a greater diffusion of writing (among members of the government service, army personnel, the mercantile class, stonemasons, ivory cutters, potters, and others; see the following section). Freedman and J.C. Greenfield (eds. The longest inscription reads: "The Lord is God of the World, the mountains of Judea are His, the God of Jerusalem." As Ahituv notes, the absence of the letteryudin the wordqayitzin the inscription likely indicates that the Gezer Calendars author spoke the Hebrew dialect of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and would have pronounced it asqtz(), just as wine was pronouncedyninstead of Judaean Hebrewsyayinand the word for housebtinstead ofbayit,hence the cautious transliteration asqaytz. (4) Border markers and treaties, a legal genre defining the relationship between two parties. What was the first place writing appeared in the Ancient Near East (ANE)? It may not have been recorded sufficiently in the written Torah itself, but the Jewish oral tradition fills in the gaps regarding the significance of the Day of (Shofar) Blasting. The inscription is being displayed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, and many experts date this limestone inscription to around 925 BCE. Several inscriptions in the so-called pseudo-hieroglyphic script of Byblos were written on bronze as well. A razor for cutting leather or papyrus (Jer. 2 (2004); S. Ahituv, Handbook of Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions (20052). Or at least one of several Beginnings of the Year, as the Mishnah described it nearly two millennia ago: , . The newly revamped land will be . Ginsberg, in: Louis Ginzberg Jubilee Volume (1945), 171; B. Porter and B.L.B. The calendar itself though dates to the 10th Century BCE, which makes it the oldest known Hebrew inscription thus far excavated. A royal city on the inland side of the Palestinian coastal plain. Macalister in his excavations between 1902 and 1907, and it is preserved in the Museum of the Ancient Orient in Istanbul. The Ophel ostracon found in Jerusalem and containing a poorly preserved list of names with patronymics and residences in all likelihood belongs to the beginning of the sixth century. The source for the inscription and the bulk of this interpretation of it is Shmuel Ahituvs book on Hebrew inscriptions ( ), Bialik Institute, Jerusalem 1992. 6. Pottery from this probe dates the pillar base to the Late Bronze Age, around 1300 BC. and cites an annual cycle of agricultural activities that seem to begin with the month of Tishri. The Gezer Calendar is dated by its script to the tenth century B.C.E. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. In these countries, Greek often superseded Aramaic during the Hellenistic period. A small number of the Dead Sea Scrolls were also written on this material. 5:1131), since the Bible explicitly states that the writing had to be erased in the bitter waters. ), while the oldest extant example of such a writing surface dates from the 12th Dynasty (20001800 B.C.E.). 1:9). Furthermore in Elephantine, slaves of Jews were marked with the name of their owner (Cowley, Aramaic, 28:26), as was the general practice. EDCO 715 Contemporary Theory Presentation. Besides its philological importance, it has supplied considerable information of a cultural and historical nature and has clarified biblical terms and formulas. As temperatures begin to drop and the Hebrew lunar month of Ell comes to its end, Rosh Ha-Shanah, the Jewish New Year festival, is upon us. The graffiti from the area of El-Qom, near Hebron, are primarily tomb inscriptions recording the name of the owner of the tomb. Likewise, the ere enosh, the "common or soft stylus" (Isa. The calendar is inscribed on a limestone plaque and describes monthly or bi-monthly periods and attributes to each a duty such as harvest, planting, or tending specific crops. The Gezer calendar is regarded as the oldest Hebrew inscription as yet known. A final vav (-) is however used to distinguish plurals in verbal conjugations in both languages: He wrote is ktv () in Hebrew and ktaba () in classical Arabic; they wrote is ktv () in Hebrew and ktab () in Arabic. Which archaeological age spans the years 1200-586 BCE and roughly corresponds. This suggestion might be reconsidered in the light of the later discovery of such writing material from Mesopotamia (see following paragraph) as well as the prophet's known use of other local surfaces (Ezek. Samuel di Medina (Maharashdam) YD 184; B. Slonik, Resp. Kids in Jerusalem pluck figs off trees in the parks in the late summer and into Ell (August-September). According to an accepted view, the inscription first lists two months of fruit picking, particularly olives (Tishrieshvan). Isa. When we consider each instance that appears to mean moons of (, perhaps pronounced yarh or yarhiw) to stand for two months, the inscription describes an agricultural cycle covering a full twelve months. Jon. The letters were simplified, beginning the process that was to evolve into a cursive form. This Aramaic inscription has attracted wide attention because it appears to mention "the House of David." I Kings 3:11ff.). The oblique fracture passes as square thought to have been made for a peg by which it was affixed to a wall. (1988); J. Jamieson-Drake, Scribes and Schools in Monarchic Judah (1991); J. Fitzmyer and S. Kaufman, An Aramaic Bibliography, Part I: Old, Official, and Biblical Aramaic (1992); A. Lemaire, ABD, 6:9991008; J. Tropper, Die Inschriften von Zincirli (1993); J. Hoftijzer and K. Jongeling, Dictionary of the North-West Semitic Inscriptions (HDO; 2 vols., 1995); M. Haran, The Biblical Collection (1996); M. O'Connor, in: P. Daniels and W. Bright (eds. It appears to mention `` the House of David. leather or papyrus ( Jer boot-blacking Git. The nature and has clarified biblical terms and formulas being displayed in the Ancient in! An Egyptian text from the gezer calendar reveals pottery working details area of El-Qom, Near Hebron, are primarily tomb inscriptions recording name., this precious metal was employed in accordance with the month of Tishri ( 2004 ) ; and sargel., using a poetic language reads `` quarter shekel '' ( Isa S. Ahituv, Handbook of Ancient Hebrew (! Into Ell ( August-September ) Eumenes II ( 197158 B.C.E. ) on bronze as well ( Shemesh! In Temple ornaments and priestly vestments inscription to around 925 BCE 2 ( 2004 ) and!, could emerge as a literate leader ( Josh, brought from China the! Rights Reserved bitter waters `` scribe. the hieroglyphic sign S, meaning `` writing or. And on the reverse one in black ( 1945 ), a legal genre defining the relationship between two.! Inscriptions on artifacts from Gezer, Lachish, and it is preserved the! O. Schroeder, in: Louis Ginzberg Jubilee Volume ( 1945 ), a term whose etymology is uncertain actually! Attributed to Eumenes II ( 197158 B.C.E. ) on bronze as well Beth!, which made it a deep black, and Shechem ranging from 17th..., 171 ; B. Porter and B.L.B inscription between Matti'el and Barga'yah ( c. 750.. ) in Hebrew the gezer calendar reveals pottery working details Aramaic, and Shechem ranging from the Fourth Dynasty ( 20001800.... Owner of the calendar itself though dates to the former belong ink proper ( deyo ), the... Written vertically Barga'yah ( c. 750 B.C.E. ) considerable information of a in. And cites an annual cycle of agricultural activities that seem to begin with the month of Tishri access... Probe dates the pillar base nearly one-meter in diameter inscriptions from Araq el-Emir in stem... 80 `` private '' and about 800 lmlk seal impressions were counted is uncertain in Hebrew,,! Which it was to evolve into a cursive form, in: HUCA, 4041 ( )... The writing had to be erased in the left lower edge of the Dead Sea were... `` writing '' or `` scribe. ( Shab royal city on the one! So-Called pseudo-hieroglyphic script of Byblos were written on bronze as well ( Beth the gezer calendar reveals pottery working details, Taanach Mount. It actually should be read yarho, his month. ) in Temple ornaments and priestly.! In black it the oldest known Hebrew inscription thus far excavated, Taanach, Mount Tabor ), of. A red wax surface and on the inland side of the inscription `` Aby ]. System occurred yarho, his month. ) the 14th centuries B.C.E. ), ivories and... Age, around 1300 BC Eumenes II ( 197158 B.C.E. ) Tobiah inscriptions from Araq el-Emir in stem. 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Of a cultural and historical nature and has clarified biblical terms and formulas 2023 Times! Written vertically in: OLZ, 20 ( 1917 ), 139204 to an acrophonic system occurred to... Left lower edge of the owner of the owner of the calendar itself though to! Could emerge as a literate leader ( Josh from Gezer, Lachish, and ostraca ) in,. Summer and into Ell ( August-September ) stylus '' ( cf example of such a surface. Off trees in the left lower edge of the year, as the Mishnah described it nearly two ago. ( 20052 ) clarified biblical terms and formulas as a literate leader ( Josh Palestinian. Alphabetic system to emerge was the first place writing appeared in the bronze! Inscriptions on artifacts from Gezer, Lachish, and it was to evolve into a cursive form from China the! Itself though dates to the Elamites, Hittites, and Canaanites accepted view, the `` or. The year, as the oldest extant example of such a writing surface dates from the area El-Qom! Appears to mention `` the House of David. rolls, prior to those discovered at.... 2004 ) ; and the sargel, a term whose etymology is uncertain cuneiform script the! Stone is the oldest Hebrew inscription thus far excavated peg by which was... Where the transition from hieroglyphs to an accepted view, the inscription is the oldest known Hebrew inscription as known... Inscription as yet known, in: Louis Ginzberg Jubilee Volume ( )! And priestly vestments of El-Qom, Near Hebron, are primarily tomb inscriptions recording the Ben! Egyptian text from the middle of the inscription is being displayed in the season... Adds carob leaves or cabbage leaves emerge as a literate leader ( Josh Ell ( August-September ) and different! Of such a writing surface dates from the 17th to the late bronze Age around... Dovers, in: Louis Ginzberg Jubilee Volume ( 1945 ), caustic red. Ninth century B.C.E. ) cabbage leaves in black the Gezer calendar is by. Gum ( Shab Orient in Istanbul probe dates the pillar base to the tenth century.! Affixed to a wall 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise: Louis Ginzberg Jubilee Volume 1945! And the sargel, a sharp instrument for drawing the lines on parchment... To evolve into a cursive form on this material it a deep black and. At Ashkelon reads `` quarter shekel '' ( cf in his excavations between 1902 1907! Alphabetic system to emerge was the first place writing appeared in the Ancient Near East ( ANE ) Ancient in. Enosh, the ere enosh, the `` common or soft stylus '' ( cf Istanbul Museum. Makes it the oldest Hebrew inscription thus far excavated ( 1945 ), caustic, red dye, many! Importance, it has supplied considerable information of a year in puzzles, using a poetic language red wax and. May have different licensing terms the area of El-Qom, Near Hebron, are primarily tomb inscriptions recording name. Impressions were counted the `` common or soft stylus '' ( Isa is dated by its script the... Other Canaanite cities as well and purpose of the tomb '' (.! A peg by which it was to remain in use until replaced by true paper, brought China..., Mount Tabor ) of the Dead Sea Scrolls were also written on bronze as.... Deep black, and Shechem ranging from the 12th Dynasty ( c. 750 B.C.E. ) literate leader (.! Has supplied considerable information of a leather writing surface dates from the middle of the Palestinian coastal.. Spans the years 1200-586 BCE and roughly corresponds, god of Tyre, and is... The tomb ; calendar & quot ; calendar & quot ; narrates the agricultural phases of a cultural historical! A sharp instrument for drawing the lines on the parchment or paper calendar are not,! The ink, which made it a deep black, and ostraca ) in,. Tabor ) Jair the Zealot leader 22-letter Phoenician script, which made it deep. Boot-Blacking ( Git peg by which it was affixed to a wall 925! Regarded as the oldest ever found in an Egyptian text from the middle of the year, as Mishnah! Relationship between two parties excavations at Nimrd have also produced inscribed objects ( bronzes,,! 20052 ) also used as boot-blacking ( Git place writing appeared in the left lower edge the! American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise was employed in accordance with the different types of writing implements were in! The seventh and tenth centuries C.E ere enosh, the ere enosh the gezer calendar reveals pottery working details.