Imagine stumbling upon a relic of antiquity, a stone tablet fragment that traces its roots back 2,000 years, only to discover it’s an ancient equivalent of a sales receipt. This intriguing find by the Israel Antiquities Authority is not your run-of-the-mill archaeological discovery, but it does transport us back to an era concurrent with the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.
Who knew that nestled amidst the Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, Jerusalem, lay a record of what appears to be a mundane financial transaction? A compelling theory also suggests that this may very well be the proof of an age-old betting system.
Your trip to the supermarket will never be the same. As the cashier hands you your receipt, a newfound appreciation may wash over you. This seemingly trivial piece of paper, a testament to your financial transactions, has its roots in biblical times when contracts were literally carved in stone.
The fragment in question features the Hebrew inscription of the name ‘Shimon.’ Accompanying this are rows of cryptic letters and numbers, believed to denote a record of a financial exchange. The potential implication? This could be one of the earliest evidences of organized betting.
Who was Shimon?❓
Recently, The City Of David & Israel Antiquities Authority uncovered a plaque with the name “Shimon” written on it!
This stone is unique and was used for a small stone coffin. This was commonly used in Jerusalem during the early Roman period (37 BC – 70 AD). pic.twitter.com/RCALqWHx22
— City of David Ancient Jerusalem (@cityofdavid) May 17, 2023
The Israel Antiquities Authority’s statement encapsulates the significance of this find, “At first glance, the names and numbers may not seem exciting, but to think that, just like today, receipts were also used in the past for commercial purposes, and that such a receipt has reached us, is a rare and gratifying find.” This discovery presents us a sneak peek into the ordinary life of Jerusalem’s denizens two millennia ago.
This stone receipt stands out due to its simplicity and close resemblance to our modern-day receipts. Similar artifacts have been unearthed in the past, yet none bear such an uncanny similarity to our contemporary financial transaction proofs.
According to Nahshon Szanton, the Excavation Director, and Esther Eshel, a professor at Bar-Ilan University, four similar Hebrew inscriptions from the Early Roman period, contemporaneous with Jesus Christ, have been found in Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh.
The latest find is groundbreaking in its own right, representing the first receipt-like object discovered from this historical era within Jerusalem’s confines. It is believed that a sharp tool was used to etch the inscription on a chalkstone slab. Intriguingly, such slabs were commonly utilized as burial chests or ossuaries in Jerusalem and Judea between 37 B.C. to 70 A.D.
JERUSALEM, Israel – The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has discovered an ancient receipt or financial transaction dating back 2,000 years on the City of David’s Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem.https://t.co/aPPWcT6AHq
— CBN Israel (@cbnisraelaid) May 18, 2023
This does not suggest the artifact was a testament of one’s will. Instead, it might represent a bill issued by an ossuary merchant. Ossuaries were typically found in graves outside the city, although their presence within city limits also points towards a potential artisan’s workshop or store trading these burial chests.
The archaic receipt was unearthed in the lower city along the Pilgrimage Road, a significant route of roughly a third of a mile linking the southern city gate of the City of David to the Temple Mount. This vital thoroughfare, which Jesus may have traversed as if a freeway, was the beating heart of Jerusalem back in the day.
The excavation team leaders note the significance of this discovery, stating, “The combination of the architectural and tangible space of the huge, paved stones of the square that were preserved at the site and the discovery of small finds in this area, such as the measuring table and the new inscription, allow us to reconstruct parts of the incredibly unique archaeological puzzle.”
This seemingly mundane receipt enriches our understanding of Jerusalem’s everyday life during the Second Temple period, underlining the critical role this road played in the city’s inhabitants’ lives two millennia ago.
Source: Thegoptimes
