Archaeologists have found pottery shards with the earliest alphabetical written text to be uncovered in Jerusalem, according to reports.
On Wednesday, Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University's Institute of Archeology, research team lead, told Xinhua that "the inscription dated to the 10th century BC, and predates by 250 years the earliest known alphabetical written text found in Jerusalem."
The pottery fragments with the text inscribed were found underneath the second floor of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to Live Science, the fragments were found along with pieces of six other jars of its type.
"The jar was made before the Israelite rule and the prevalence of Hebrew script," the researchers said.
The findings are published in the Israel Exploration Journal, co-authored article by Mazar, Prof. Shmuel Ahituv of Ben-Gurion University, and Dr. David Ben-Shlomo of the Hebrew University.
According to Xinhua, the excavation was conducted in collaboration with Israel Antiquities Authority, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the East Jerusalem Development Company.
"An 11th century B.C. temple found near Jerusalem reveals evidence of fighting between Canaanites, Israelites and Philistines. And an ancient royal garden in the hills above Jerusalem was recently revived," Live Sciences reports. "In addition, an ancient seal depicting a man fighting a lion and possibly referencing the Biblical tale of Samson was discovered at Beth Shemesh, an archaeological site about 12 miles (20 kilometers) west of Jerusalem."
The letters are reportedly about 1 inch tall, and pieces were likely made from clay that originated in the hills around Jerusalem.
According to Xinhua, Archeologist can read a few the letters engraved on the jar: M, Q, P, H, N, possibly an L, and N. However, researchers says the meaning of these letters will most likely remain a mystery.
"No one today can decipher Canaanite," Mazar said.
For photos of the archaeological finds, click here.
