Hikers had found a first-of-its-kind inscription of the Persian King Darius the Great on pottery in Israel. This was found in Tel Lachish in central Israel this week.
The Persian King, Darius the Great, was a monarch whose name was mentioned in the book of Ezra (chapter 6) and was also recognised for his immense contribution towards building the temple in Jerusalem. Darius the Great lived 500 years after King David in the bible and 500 years before the birth of Christ. He also restored the Jewish religious life after the Babylonian exile.
According to Israel365 News reports, Eylon Levi, who found the ancient piece, serves as an advisor to the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog. When Levi found the inscription, he had thought of it to be a staged occurrence but when no cameras showed up, he knew the discovery was unique and he handed over the piece to the Israel Antiquities Authorities.
After viewing it under a microscope, it was discovered that the words written on the pottery were “Year 24 of Darius”, which was a reference to the Great Persian King, Darius, who ruled about 2,500 years ago. Some Tel Lachish archeologists have found that the place served as an administrative centre for the Persian empire where taxes were recorded.
The piece of pottery was said to might have been a part of a bigger inscription used in recording the payments. In the Southern kingdom of Judah, Tel Lachish was also an important site for trade and commerce during the days of the Bible.
There had been a few mentions of the discovery on social media, and a certain handle that talks about the history of the land of Israel had posted some photos of the first-of-its-kind finding. The caption reads, “A hiker in Tel Lachish found the earliest ever reference in Israel to Persian king Darius I. The name is inscribed on a piece of 2,500-year-old piece of pottery. Darius is the father of Ahasuerus from the Purim story and the emperor during the famous Persian invasion of Greece.”
A hiker in Tel Lachish found the earliest ever reference in Israel to Persian king Darius I. The name is inscribed on a piece of 2,500-year-old piece of pottery. Darius is the father of Ahasuerus from the Purim story and the emperor during the famous Persian invasion of Greece. pic.twitter.com/rqtLNbyCfg
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