Ekron Temple Ritual Bowls & Storage Pots 720 BCE

(from Gitin and Ahituv, 2015)

Ekron Temple Ritual Bowl 1 (Levant Text 37.1)

(August 24, 2022)  This pottery shard was found in temple support building 654 room E shown above. The temple had 5 support buildings in the elite zone of the city.

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left)
  1. Bu
  2. Miqqu rabu

In English

  1. Nourishments for 
  2. undermining the authorities (planetary astrological powers)

The discovery publication (Gitin and Ahituv, 2015) identified these letters as:

  1. B
  2. MṢRB

After a convoluted line of reasoning in which they changed two letters they claimed it meant "double gift."

References

Gitin, Seymour; and Ahituv, Shmuel (2015) Two New Cultic Inscriptions from Seventh-Century B.C.E. Ekron. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/19785649/Two_New_Cultic_Inscriptions_from_Seventh-Century_B.C.E._Ekron
(from Gitin and Ahituv, 2015)

Ekron Temple Ritual Bowl 2 (Levant Text 37.2)

(August 24, 2022) This pottery shard was found in temple support building 654 room E shown above. The temple had 5 support buildings in the elite zone of the city.

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left)
  1. taṣû ru inu

In English

  1. For pushing-away moon-eyed (crazy) eagle-vultures

Hebrew Translation Attempt

The discovery publication (Gitin and Ahituv, 2015) identified these letters as TŠRYM. All are correct except for the last letter. The /s/ letter is Ṣ in Alphabetic Akkadian and not the Š as it would be in Hebrew (Shibboleth change in Judges chapter 12). 

The discovery authors could not give a Hebrew translation with these letters but instead arbitrary stated these letters formed one word and that word “should be equated” with the Hebrew word TŠWRE meaning “an interview fee.” 

References

Gitin, Seymour, and Ahituv, Shmuel (2015) Two New Cultic Inscriptions from Seventh-Century B.C.E. Ekron. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/19785649/Two_New_Cultic_Inscriptions_from_Seventh-Century_B.C.E._Ekron
Cursive letter text normally used for writing with ink. From Gitin, Dothan, and Naveh (1997) 

Ekron Temple Ritual Bowl 3 (Levant Text 37.3)

(August 24, 2022) This ritual bowl was found in a storage room of the temple.

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left)
  1. bu ne'u nu tu

In English

  1. Nourishments for interfering with magical revelations 

References

Gitin, S., Dothan, T., and Naveh, J. (1997) "A Royal Dedicatory Inscription from Ekron," Israel Exploration Journal 47: 1-18
From Gitin, Dothan, and Naveh (1997) 

Ekron Temple Ritual Bowl 4 (Levant Text 37.4)

(August 24, 2022) This ritual bowl was found in a storage room of the temple.

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left)
  1. ḫamû gu nu

In English

  1. Hu's fertility-fluids energize the Revealer (Yahu)

Hebrew Translation Attempt

The discovery publication (Gitin, Dothan, and Naveh, 1997) assigned the letters as  ḪMLK  This allowed them to see the name “Ahimelek” even though the letter "A" is not there either.

References

Gitin, S., Dothan, T., and Naveh, J. (1997) "A Royal Dedicatory Inscription from Ekron," Israel Exploration Journal 47: 1-18
Ekron temple storage pot fragment with text. (from Gitin and Cogan 1999) 

Ekron Temple Storage Pot (Levant Text 37.5)

(August 24, 2022) This pottery shard was found at Ekron (Tel Miqne) in 1997. 

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left)
  1. Gu be'u. Gu ḥanû lu ru zu

In English

  1. Emotional-energy is nesting (resting).  Energy can intimidate without eagle-vulture elimination.

(Continue Reading)

Because this inscription was found on a transport jar it is acting like a news headline going out to the temple’s supporters. Many clay seals seem to have had this function as well.

The inscription was only discovered while the pottery shards were being classified during the post season. This inscription was on a type 3 ovoid storage jar and it was found in room P of the temple adjacent to the olive oil press room. This type of pottery could store figs, olive oil, water, and wine but it was most often used to transport olive oil which was likely the case here. 

Hebrew Translation Attempt

The discovery publication identified most of the letters incorrectly as L B’L U L PDY so it would read as “for Ba’al and Padi.” 

Their most glaring errors are in their last three letters assignments for which no justification can be given. They simply wanted to fit those letters into the name they thought existed in the Ekon temple plaque.  

References

Gitin, S. and Cogan M (1999) A New Type of Dedicatory Inscription from Ekron. Israel Exploration Journal 49:3-4 

Translation Resources Used

All texts translated to the scholar's standard.

Lexicon Used

Olmsted, D.D (January 1, 2022) Mediterranean Akkadian Lexicon 3rd Edition – 2022. DOI Permanent URL:   http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/nbb6-wg16. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/66851810/Mediterranean_Akkadian_Lexicon_3rd_Edition_2022

Letter Charts Used

Letter Class Comparison ChartLevant Letter Chart