Biblical Archaeology Review

War 1.274, 1.325, 1.384; Antiquities 12.28, 12.33, 12.46, 14.371, 15.156; Life 419. In Antiquities 14.107, “redemption (λυτρον)” is used to refer to the bar of gold offered so that the Temple would not be plundered. The verb “to redeem (λυτροω)” also occurs in War 1.274 and Antiquities 14.371.

See also the works of Josephus where the noun “salvation (σωτηρια)” and the verb “to save (συζω)” always refer to escaping physical danger, often from a military threat, and frequently have political connotations.

The following analysis is from D. Adan-Bayewitz, F. Asaro and R.D. Giauque, “The Discovery of Anomalously High Silver Abundances in Pottery from Early Roman Excavation Contexts in Jerusalem,” Archaeometry 48, no. 3 (2006), p. 377.

I am relying here on two papers whose authors include six geologists. The first of the two papers is Shimon Ilani, Amnon Rosenfeld and Michael Dvorachek, “Archaeometry of a Stone Tablet with Hebrew Inscription Referring to Repair of the House,” GSI Current Research 13 (2002). The second paper is S. Ilani, A. Rosenfeld, H.R. Feldman, W.E. Krumbein and J. Kronfeld, “Archaeometric Analysis of the ‘Jehoash Inscription’ Tablet,” Journal of Archaeological Science 35 (2008), p. 113.

An earlier scholarly treatment of this topic may be found in Jeffrey R. Zorn, “The Burials of the Judean Kings: Sociohistorical Considerations and Suggestions” in A.M. Maier and P. Miroschedji, eds., “I Will Speak the Riddle of Ancient Times”: Archaeological and Historical Studies in Honor of Amihai Mazar on the Occasion of His Sixtieth Birthday (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2006), pp. 801–820.

Josephus, Jewish War 5.4.1