A Greek Abecedary Fragment from the City of David

Abstract

This paper deals with a Greek alphabetic inscription uncovered in Jerusalem. It was found in the course of excavations carried out in the Tyropoean Valley, in the western spur of the City of David. Its stratigraphic context testifies to its dating in the Late Second Temple period. It joins other abecedaries found in various archaeological contexts and ranging in chronology from the beginning of alphabetic script to the Early Muslim period. Most scholars interpret these inscriptions as scribal exercises. However, it seems they did not constitute one homogenous phenomenon; rather, they must have fulfilled different purposes. In our view, a considerable number of these alphabetic scripts clearly points to their mystic character.