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October 22, 2007
Iron Age IIB Potsherds from the Temple Mount
Over the weekend there was a bit of a to do over the discover on the Haram-esh-Sharif, the Temple Mound, of potsherds from the first temple period. Here is what the Israel Antiquities Authority said of the find,
During a recent archaeological inspection on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority over maintenance works of the Waqf, a sealed archaeological level probably dated to the First Temple Period was exposed in the area close the southeastern corner of the raised platform surrounding the Dome of the Rock.
Jim West has fairly complete coverage and commentary at Theologie und Gemeinschaft. Jim is correct that headlines like "First remains from original Jewish temple found at holy site" overstate the case by a wide margin.
An untrained look at the pottery assemblage in various photographs, like the one above from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs report, makes me think in terms of a domestic setting (as opposed to an industrial or cultic setting). But it is likely that, while the material is from a sealed locus, it is not in the context of its origin use. Rather, these sherds were likely in a fill from the end of the period or even somewhat later. On the other hand, their original place of use and breakage was likely nearby. Archaeologists date the finds from the eighth to sixth centuries BCE.
Posted by Duane Smith at October 22, 2007 1:54 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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