The highly specific interpretation of her manner of life is based on the convergence of several lines of evidence, explain Dr. Guy Stiebel of Tel Aviv University and Liat Oz of the Israel Antiquities Authority, in a joint paper to be published in the journal New Studies on Jerusalem (Hebrew).This article is a little more cautious, and it lays out in more detail the process of inference that led the archaeologists to conclude that this was a tomb of a hetaira courtesan.In archaeology, the range of interpretative possibilities is generally wide, Stiebel tells Haaretz by phone. “But there are times the stars align and the anomalies ultimately converge to one scenario. There are rare cases where you have to say: that’s what it is.”
Background here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.