• Three-Way Debate of the Jerusalem (Jehoash) Tablet in Alphabetic Akkadian Proves it is Authentic (980 BCE)

    Author(s):
    David Olmsted (see profile)
    Date:
    2021
    Group(s):
    Alphabetic Akkadian, Biblical archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Pagan Studies
    Subject(s):
    Religions, Mediterranean Region, History, Ancient, Akkadians, Paganism, History
    Item Type:
    Online publication
    Tag(s):
    Yah, Jerusalem temple, drought, Ancient Israel and Judea, Ancient Israelite religion, Ancient Mediterranean religions, Akkadian, Historical paganism
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/6cf6-ve32
    Abstract:
    This tablet was declared a fraud my many because it could not be translated from Hebrew yet this paper proves the tablet is authentic because it can be translated from Alphabetic Akkadian, a script unknown when the tablet was discovered. This tablet was once stored in a treasury room in Jerusalem’s royal palace or first temple as evidenced by microscopic fire deposited gold droplets on its surface. Its text is a three-way debate about the cause of a drought between a Phoenician magic crafter, a Jewish life-priest, and a Greek Island (Philistine) priest. Consequently, this tablet was likely taken to Jerusalem from some early temple to the south near the border between Philistia and Judah. The tablet’s letter style is most similar to that found on the 980 BCE Moabite Stele and like the Moabite stele its Jewish author blames the astrological powers for the drought. In this they are similar to the later 840 BCE Gezer tablet but having a different letter style (Olmsted, Sept 9, 2020) but are opposite to the 980 to 900 BCE Philistine and Phoenician el-Khadr spearheads (Olmsted January 17, 2021). Deities mentioned are Yahu, Hu, Atu, the Shepherd (Su), and the Gatekeeper (Ayu). Significantly, the spelling for “Yahu” (IH, YH) is the same which is found in the Hebrew scriptures. The long form of Yahweh is not used as it is in the Moabite stele.
    Metadata:
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    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    2 years ago
    License:
    Attribution-ShareAlike
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