IAA Number: 2015-129
| Object's Name: Ostracon Inscribed, Greek Period: Hellenistic Material: Pottery Site: Maresha, T. Lenght: 3.5 cm Wide: 2.9 cm Description: Translation:
Zenon to Samaios
Zenon- a common Greek name.
Samaios- a Greek form of the Hebrew name Samuel or Shamai/ Shemaiah.
Tags were probably embedded to the clay stoppers of jars to mark
ownership and other details regarding to the content of the vessels.
By the end of the 3rd century to the beginning of the 2nd century BCE
Greek seems to have been in common use among the inhabitants of
Maresha, both offical and private business was carried out in the
Greek language.
Bibliography: Ecker A. and Korzakova H. 2014. "Greek inscribed pottery" in: I. Stern (ed.) The Excavations of Maresha: Subterranean Complex 57: The 'Heliodorus' Cave. BAR (IS) 2652: 95- 101, Fig. 9. 5.
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