Abecedaries from Kuntillet Ajrud

Arad letter (Order Concerning Rations), from the remains of the Judahite fortress at Arad, in the Negev, 7th or 6th century BCE. The Arad ostraca provide an impression of the provincial administration…

This portrait of Jacob Judah Leon Templo, one of three that are known, is believed to be a self-portrait. In it, he clutches a coat of arms featuring a lion, which he himself designed, and holds a…

Idol-quickening instructions, Babylonia, 6th century BCE. The “mouth-washing” ritual was a ceremony for transforming a newly manufactured idol into a living deity. The instructions include these…