Early Inscriptions from the Time of David and Solomon

Sidebar to: The New Jerusalem Inscription—So What?

These early inscriptions, together with a few names on pots, provide some evidence of literacy and perhaps civil administration during the time of the United Monarchy.

Beth Shemesh game board The owner of this double-sided game board, discovered at Beth Shemesh in the 1990s, inscribed his name—Hanan—on it in paleo-Hebrew script. Frank Moore Cross dated it to the latter half of the 10th century B.C.a Hanan doubtless treasured his game board enough to sign it. The board also indirectly indicates that the other game board players at Beth Shemesh possessed enough literacy to distinguish between signed game boards.1

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