
Biblical Tax Notice: 1st-Ever Assyrian Inscription Found Near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount
A 2.5-centimeter pottery fragment bearing cuneiform writing was uncovered near the Temple Mount, marking the first Assyrian inscription ever found in Jerusalem. The Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday, October 22, 2025, that the text—written in Akkadian—mentions a delay in payment, the month of Av, and an Assyrian court title (“holder of the reins”). Scientific analysis indicates the clay originated in the Tigris basin, tying the tiny shard directly to the Assyrian heartland.
The artifact emerged from soil removed during excavations at the Davidson Archaeological Park and sifted at Emek Tzurim. Scholars suggest it is likely a fragment of a royal sealing (bulla) that summarized an official document—possibly a tax notice from the Assyrian emperor to the king of Judah. Stylistic and linguistic clues date it to the late 8th–mid-7th centuries BCE, aligning with the tumultuous Hezekiah–Sennacherib period described in II Kings.
Excavators say the context points to a First Temple–period administrative complex west of the Temple Mount, supported by additional, yet-to-be-published sealings. Researchers also note the Judeans’ use of a Mesopotamian-style calendar at the time. Mineralogical testing further supports a Tigris-region provenance, underscoring the inscription’s significance for understanding Judah–Assyria relations and the Bible’s historical landscape.
(TOI/VFI News)
For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. — Psalm 102:14