More on the inscribed ostraca from Sartaba-Alexandrium

EPIGRAPHY AND ARCHAEOLOGY: Inscription found in Alexandrium fortress could shed new light on Jewish Revolt. Israeli researchers recently deciphered an ostracon in a grand 1st-century structure in the Jordan Valley that could prove Jewish rebels used the site in their fight against Rome (ROSSELLA TERCATIN, Times of Israel).

I noted this story a couple of weeks ago here, with a focus on the Aramaic ostracon that mentions "Eleazar bar Ger." This article has more information, including an interview with Dr. Dvir Raviv from Bar-Ilan University. Excerpt:

“The most important question we need to address is whether we can connect the artifact with the Jewish Revolt,” Misgav said. “The sherd looks like other pottery fragments from that time found in other sites, but without additional archaeological context, there is no way to know if we are talking about 50 to 60 years earlier or 20 to 30 years later.”

The researchers are working to decipher the rest of the 14 ostraka unearthed in the 1980s. So far, some appear to carry other common Jewish names, like Pinhas and Levi. One is written in Greek and features a Greek name.

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