On the clay tokens from the Temple Mount

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Temple Mount sifting: What were these ancient clay tokens used for? Jerusalem archaeologists are still trying to understand the nature of a 2,000-year-old mysterious clay token found in dirt sifted from the Temple Mount (Israel National News 7).

Two months after the discovery of the Greek token, another very similar token was found in excavations at the drainage channel under Robinson's Arch (below the southern part of the Western Wall) directed by Eli Shukrun and Prof. Ronny Reich of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

This token bore an Aramaic inscription readingדכא/ליה , initially interpreted as "pure to God" by the excavators. However, Hebrew University Talmudic scholar, Prof. Shlomo Naeh, later suggested that the token was used by pilgrims ascending to the Temple as a token to receive their offerings after payment, with the writing on the sealing intended to prevent forgeries by including the abbreviations of the sacrifice type, the day, the month, and the name of the priestly division of that week.

PaleoJudaica followed this debate in 2011 and 2012. See here, here, and here. It sounds as though the token's interpretation remains debated.

This is the first I have heard about that Greek token that bears an amphora image.

The underlying article by Dr. Yoav Farhi, mentioned in the article, has been posted on the author's Academia.edu page here.

UPDATE (19 April): the Temple Mount Sifting Project Blog now has a post on the story: A 2,000-YEAR-OLD MYSTERIOUS CLAY TOKEN (Zachi Dvira).

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