Biblical Archaeology Review

Regarding this ban, see Amos Kloner, The Necropolis of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period, Ph.D. dissertation (Jerusalem: The Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, 1980), p. 150 [Hebrew].

The pottery vessel assemblage found at Jericho was of local production. The absence of imported vessels is explained by a ban imposed by Jewish Law; see Rachel Bar-Nathan, “Summary and Conclusions,” in Ehud Netzer, ed., Hasmonean and Herodian Palaces at Jericho, Vol. III: The Pottery (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2002), pp. 196–199.

A similar assemblage of pottery vessels was discovered at Herodion; see Rachel Bar-Nathan, “Pottery and Stone Vessels of the Herodian Period,” in Ehud Netzer, ed., Greater Herodium (Jerusalem: Institute of Archaeology, 1981), pp. 54–70.

The wall paintings were examined and identified by Dr. Sylvia Rozenberg of the Israel Museum. They were dated to the Hasmonean-Herodian period in the first century B.C.E., prior to the year 15 B.C.E., based on their style. Similar paintings were exposed in Jericho, Jerusalem and elsewhere. See Sylvia Rozenberg, Enchanted Landscapes: Wall Paintings from the Roman Era (Ramat Gan: R. Sirkis, 1993), pp. 147–152.

Claude R. Conder and Horatio H. Kitchener, Survey of Western Palestine, vol. III, Judaea (London: Palestine Exploration Fund, 1883), p. 127, sheet XVII.

Charles Clermont-Ganneau, Archaeological Researches in Palestine During the Years 1873–1874, vol. II (London: Palestine Exploration Fund, 1896), pp. 82–83.

Josephus, Antiquities XIII.210–211, Ralph Marcus, ed. and trans., Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1976). Josephus probably copied from 1 Maccabees 13:25–30.

I am convinced that Simo Parpola has correctly linked this particular son to this assassination in “The Murderer of Sennacherib,” pp. 171–182 in Bendt Alster, ed., Death in Mesopotamia: Papers Read at the 04VIe Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag, 1980).

Joseph J. Hobbs, Mount Sinai (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995).