Discovery: ‘Jerusalem’ on Hebrew Papyrus By: David Israel

Discovery: ‘Jerusalem’ on Hebrew Papyrus

By: David Israel

Published: October 21st, 2016

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An ancient Hebrew text written on papyrus from the Second Temple Period. (Illustration Photo)
Photo Credit: Miriam Alster / FLASH90

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A unique, 2,700-year-old Papyrus which mentions the Hebrew word “Yerushalma” (possibly meaning “to Jerusalem”) will be revealed next week at a conference on Innovations in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and Its Environs, at the Rabin Jewish Studies Building on the Mount Scopus Campus of the Hebrew University, Makor Rishon reported. Researchers say the papyrus may be the earliest evidence in Hebrew of the connection between the city of Jerusalem and the period of the Kings of Israel.

The papyrus is a document written on paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, cyperus papyrus. Such documents were written on sheets of papyrus, joined together side by side and rolled up into a scroll, in an early form of a book. In a dry climate, like that of Egypt or the Judaean desert, the papyrus pages are stable, since they are made of highly rot-resistant cellulose; but storage in humid conditions can result in molds attacking and destroying the material.

To date, the only other archaeological find that mentions Jerusalem in Hebrew were carvings on a cave wall at the Beit Loya ruin near Amatzia in southern Judea (west of the green line). The cave, which has been dubbed the “Jerusalem Cave” was excavated in 1970, and the writing on the wall says, “The whole land and the Judaean mountains are His, the God of Yerushalaim.” Prof. Shmuel Achituv, a scholar of the history of the people of Israel in the ancient East, deciphered that text and has now also deciphered the papyrus with the word “Yerushalma.” He will lecture on his discovery at next week’s lecture.

According to Achituv, to date the name “Yerushalaim” has been discovered in archaeological finds in languages other than Hebrew, such as in the El-Amarna letters, written in cuneiform, which were sent by the kings of Canaan to the Pharaoh in the 14th century BCE. There is also an Assyrian documentation of the siege laid by King Sennacherib on Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah in 701 BCE.

The Hebrew papyrus was discovered recently in the Judaean desert and purchased from an antique dealer. It was examined by the Israel Antiquities Authority’s labs, and carbon dated. The results showed with certainty that the papyrus dates back to the 8th century BCE, near the end of the Kingdom of Judea, a short while before the destruction of the First Temple.

David Israel

About the Author: David writes news at JewishPress.com.

Yerushalayim means Two Jerusalems, that is, the earthly and the heavenly. This concept appeared in the Mishnaic or Talmudic period, as far as I know. In the Bible the city is called Sholem/Shalem or Yerushalem/Yerusholem, using the classical pronunciation of the qometz.  In Latin it is usually called Hierosolyma, and in Greek usually Ierosoluma. Aristotle's pupil Clearchos of Soli heard his master call it Ierousaleme or Hierusaleme. Hekataios of Abdera calls the city Ierosoluma. For UNESCO's edification, Clearchos and Hekataios both clearly identify the city with the Jews. Rivka Fishman wrote an article on the subject of Jerusalem in Greek and Latin sources. You can also check Menahem Stern's Jews and Judaism in Greek and Latin Authors. Readers might want to let UNESCO know these facts.
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Diana Forgy
Eliyahu Ben Abraham
14m
Very interesting, as is the article. But don't bet the farm on UNESCO being swayed by mere facts and physical evidence.  They are quite in love with their foolish narrative, and they're sticking with it.
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David Kra
4h
The commonly accepted date for the end of the Kingdom of Judea, 586 BCE, is inconsistent with the article's assertions that the "2,700-year-old Papyrus ... dates back to the 8th century BCE, near the end of the Kingdom of Judea." 
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Roger M Pearlman
David Kra
1h
The actual timeline for Holy Temple I was 2448+480 = 2928 AM until 3338 AM this being 5777 AM  so perhaps from time of King Solomon if the carbon dating is accurate.. reference The Torah Discovery Chronology  an appendix in 'Abraham until the Exodus'
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Roger M Pearlman
1hEdited
The actual timeline for Holy Temple I was 2448+480 = 2928 AM until 3338 AM this being 5777 AM so closer to the time of King Solomon if the carbon dating is accurate.. reference The Torah Discovery Chronology an appendix in 'Abraham until the Exodus'