Bulla of Shebanyahu Son of Samak, with Grazing Doe

Evidence for the material culture of ancient Israel comes mostly from artifacts and archaeology and attests to the influence of the great empires that surrounded Israel.

Artifacts help historians reconstruct the past, using layers of excavation to establish the chronology of the sites they excavate.

 Even mundane inscriptions from the Hebrew Bible period offer valuable information about history, society, religion, economy, literacy, and much else.