The National Hebrew Script Up To The Babylonian Exile

by Ada Yadeni

Overview

The National Hebrew Script up to the Babylonian Exile is Ada Yardeni’s last contribution to the field of Hebrew and West-Semitic palaeography. This new and stimulating study by the “Grand Dame of Palaeography” covers sixty-eight inscriptions and fragments from various ancient artifacts. Incredibly well-respected in her field, her last work is a vital contribution to the fields of epigraphy and palaeography.

Topics covered include:

• The beginnings of alphabetic writing
• The ancient Hebrew script
• Inscriptions from the First Temple period to the Babylonian exile
• Original drawings
• References & index

This Carta handbook also includes contributions by Professors Mordechai Cogan and Shmuel Ahituv, as well as a preface by Professor Ahituv.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789652208996
Publisher:	Carta Jerusalem
Publication date:	04/01/2019
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Ada Yardeni (1937–2018), born in Jerusalem, graduated from the Bezalel School of Art, where she received a diploma in graphic arts and calligraphy, and from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she received a PhD in ancient Semitic languages, palaeography, and epigraphy. She specialized in the study of the Hebrew and Aramaic scripts and in the decipherment and interpretation of ancient inscriptions and documents, including documentary texts from the Judean Desert and the Aramaic documents from Elephantine. She designed a number of typefaces, one of which bears her name. Dr. Yardeni was one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient Semitic languages, palaeography, and epigraphy, and published several books, including The Book of Hebrew Script (Jerusalem 1997; The British Library edition 2002), and numerous articles on these and other subjects.

Table of Contents

Preface Shmuel Ahituv vii

Abbreviations x

List of Figures xii

Introduction 1

Selected Inscriptions

1 Wadi el-Hôl 14

2 Serabit el-Khadim 17

3 A Proto-Canaanite Inscription from Tel Lachish 22

4 A Proto-Canaanite Inscription from Tel Gezer 24

5 A Dagger from Tel Lachish 24

6 A Proto-Canaanite Ostracon from Beit Shemesh 26

7 A Proto-Canaanite Ostracon from Tell es-Sarem 28

8 A Fragment of a Proto-Canaanite Ewer from Tel Lachish 29

9 A Proto-Canaanite Ostracon from Tel Nagila 31

10 A Proto-Canaanite Inscription on a Bowl from Lachish 32

11 An Ostracon from &lhookipa;Izbet Sartah 33

12 A Proto-Canaanite Ostracon from Qubûr el-Walaydah 37

13 A Proto-Canaanite Ostracon from Tell es-Safi 38

14 A Proto-Canaanite Jar Fragment from Tel Lachish 40

15 A Proto-Canaanite Ostracon from Khirbet Qeiyafa 42

16 A Proto-Canaanite Jar Inscription from Khirbet Qeiyafa 46

17 A Fragment of a Proto-Canaanite Jar Inscription from the Ophel 49

18 Inscribed Arrowheads 51

19 An Inscribed Early Phoenician Bronze Bowl from Kefar Veradim 53

20 Phoenician Inscription on the &rhookipa;Ahiram Sarcophagus from Byblos 55

21 Phoenician Inscription of Y&ebreve;himlk, King of Byblos 58

22 Phoenician Inscription of Šftb&lhookipa;l, King of Byblos 60

23 Phoenician Royal Inscription of Tbnt 62

24 Phoenician Extreme Cursive Script on an Ostracon from Akko 64

25 A Phoenician/Aramaic Booty Inscription of Haza&rhookipa;el 68

26 A Phoenician / Aramaic Monumental Inscription from Tel Dan 70

27 The "Yehoash" Inscription 73

28 A Phoenician Abecedary from Tel Zayit 77

29 The Phoenician/Hebrew Gezer Calendar 80

30 The Stele of Meshac^c, King of Moab 84

31 Five Selected Inscriptions from Tel Rehov 91

32 Four Fragmentary Ostraca from Tel Beit Shean 94

33 A Fragmentary Ostracon from Tel Hazor 97

34 A Fragmentary Jar Inscription from Tell el-Oreme 98

35 Seal of the Servant of Jerobo&lhookipa;am 99

36 A Jar Inscription from Mount Hebron 100

37 The "Semadar" Jar Inscription from Tel Hazor 101

38 Ostracon No. 17a from Samaria 102

39 The Barley Ostracon from Samaria 107

40 A Fragment of a Limestone Inscription from Samaria 109

41 Palaeo-Hebrew Cursive Inscriptions from Kuntillet &lhookipa;Ajrud 110

42 A Jar Inscription [l]śrc&lhookipa;r from Kuntillet &lhookipa;Ajrud 113

43 Seal Stamps śrh&lhookipa;r 114

44 A Jar Handle with a Seal Impression Imlk hbrn 116

45 A Fiscal Bulla from Jerusalem 118

46 An Ostracon from Tell Qasile 120

47 A Jar Inscription bt Imlk from Tel Lachish 122

48 The Siloam Inscription 124

49 The Royal Steward Inscription from Jerusalem 128

50 A Fragment of a Monumental Inscription from Jerusalem 131

51 An Ink Inscription on Fragments of a Jar from Jerusalem 133

52 A Fragment of a Large Stone Inscription from the Ophel 135

53 The Ophel Ostracon 137

54 Jar Handles Nos. 21 and 22 from Gibeon 140

55 The Priestly Blessing on Two Amulets from Jerusalem 141

56 Hebrew Seals and Bullae, Eighth and Seventh Centuries BCE 146

57 A Seal with the Inscription Ihnh (For Hannah) 148

58 A Seal of Pela&rhookipa;yahu, Chief of the Corvée 149

59 A Letter and a List on Papyrus from Wadi Murabba&lhookipa;at 152

60 Bullae from the City of David 155

61 The mpqd Ostriacon from Tel &lhookipa;Ira 159

62 Two Inscriptions from Caves at Khirbet el-Qôm 161

63 The Mesad Hashavyahu Letter 166

64 "Ramat-negev" Ostracon = Letter No. 24 from Tel Arad 169

65 Letter No. 3 from Tel Lachish 173

66 A Name List on Ostracon No. 18 from Horvat &lhookipa;Uza 178

67 Ostraca Nos. 23 and 24 from Horvat &lhookipa;Uza 181

68 A Papyrus Fragment Mentioning Jerusalem 187

Appendix Shmuel Ahituv 190

References 194

Indices 213

A Index to Citations from the Hebrew Bible and Apocrypha

B Index to Divine Names

C Index to Persons

D Index to Geographical and Ethnic Names