Looted inscribed dolphin weight recovered in Jerusalem

APPREHENDED: 2150 years old: Jerusalem dolphin artifact found. Greek inscription notes the name of a market oversight official from the Hellenistic period. Researchers aim to identify the weight's origin city based on the mammal's illustration (Lidor Sultan, Israel HaYom).

A rare lead weight in excellent condition, bearing an ancient Greek inscription from the Hellenistic period, was seized this week in Jerusalem during an operation by the Israel Antiquities Authority's Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Theft. The weight, dated to 147–148 BCE, was uncovered in an antiquities shop following intelligence information.

The fascinating archaeological find is inscribed with the text "Heliodorus son of Apollonius, agoranomos" – the name and title of a government official responsible for overseeing the accuracy of measurements and weights in markets to prevent commercial fraud. The date indicated on the weight – year 165 of the Seleucid era – corresponds to the Hellenistic period in the Land of Israel, when the Seleucid Empire controlled vast regions of the Middle East.

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Cross-file under Theriomorphic Iconography and Greek Epigraphy.

I note that the object is unprovenanced, which raises the possibility it could be a forgery. Not saying it is, but I want to hear how we know it isn't.

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