Two fragments of clay tablets inscribed with five lines of 80 Hebrew letters were discovered by Israeli archaeologists at Izbet Sarte, about 10 miles northeast of. Tel Aviv. The tablets are believed to contain the oldest Hebrew writing, even older than the 10th Century B.C.E. Gezer calendar, to be uncovered until now.
Dr. Moshe Kochavi of Tel Aviv University and Dr. Moshe Garsiel of Bar Han University, who supervised the excavations, said that the inscription on the two clay tablets could not as yet be deciphered because of the very shallow print. They said it will take scientists some time to decipher the writing.
The new specimen was discovered at the bottom of a silo at Izbet Sarte. The two archaeologists identified the site with Even Ha’ Ezer. mentioned in Chapter. Four of the First Book of Samuel, where the Philistines defeated the Israelites and captured the Holy Ark. A wall of a large building and some silos on the eastern and northern sides of Izbet Sarte also were unearthed.
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