Curse Tablet Found on Mount Ebal Suggests Early Literacy Came to Israel

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Ancient Origins

 

One of two mountains in the West Bank, Mount Ebal occupies a special place in the hearts and mythology of the Israelites, but not in the most positive light. In advance of the entry of the Jews into the ‘Promised Land’, one of the holy texts (Deuteronomy 11:29) quotes Moses as advising the Israelites to put the curse on Mount Ebal. Joshua was also believed to have built an altar here after the Battle of Ai, and in relation to that, experts from the Associates for Biblical Research (ABR) claim to have deciphered an ancient curse from a lead tablet from excavations there, reports Haaretz.

Initially discovered in December, 2019 under the tutelage of Scott Stripling, ABR’s director of excavations, the tablet was found in a pool of discarded material taken from the excavations of Israeli archaeologist Adam Zertal, who had spent much of the early and mid-1980s digging on ‘Curse Mountain’. The tablet is inscribed with 40 ancient Hebrew letters, with preliminary dating placing it to the Late Bronze Age – 14th to 13th century BC!

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Dec 29, 2022

In this first interview of our Mount Ebal series with Dr. Scott Stripling and Dr. Peter van der Veen, Dr. Stripling explains the exciting series of events that led to the Mount Ebal Dump Salvage Project.

Learn how the method of wet sifting, which Dr. Stripling and his team have implemented at sites such as Shiloh and Mount Ebal, is reshaping the field of archaeology, leading to important finds that have been completely missed by previous archaeologists.

Dr. Stripling shares how this technique led to the incredible discovery of the Mount Ebal curse tablet, found in Israeli Archaeologist, Adam Zertal's, dump piles from the Joshua's Altar site on Mount Ebal.

Dr. Stripling and Dr. van der Veen begin to relate the immense significance of this artifact and how it affirms important events recorded in the book of Joshua.

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Jan 7, 2023

In our 2nd episode with Dr. Scott Stripling and Dr. Peter van der Veen, Scott, Peter, and Tim discuss the biblical significance of Mount Ebal and sites in the surrounding area. From Abraham, to Joseph, and on to Joshua, this area is rich in biblical history and foundational events.

Dr. Stripling and Dr. van der Veen also give a brief history of curses in the ancient world, why the Mount Ebal curse tablet is unique, and how it is rewriting our understanding of ancient history in terms of when these types of tablets came into use.

Also discussed is how this tablet further links the Proto-Alphabetic script to the Israelites and shows that Moses and Joshua were, in fact, literate as the Bible claims.

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Jan 13, 2023

In our 3rd episode with Dr. Scott Stripling and Dr. Peter van der Veen, Scott and Peter share what is by far the most remarkable aspect of the Mount Ebal curse tablet's translation.

Inscribed on the inside of this tablet is the divine name of God written in Proto-Alphabetic script - ensuring that this is, in fact, an Israelite text! Also found is the name, "El," a title used for God in the Hebrew text of the Bible.

Dr. Stripling and Dr. van der Veen point out that this is devastating for the documentary hypothesis which claims that the Torah was written by different authors hundreds of years after the events it describes. Here, both of the primary names for God are found side-by-side, just as they are found on the pages of the biblical text. This exciting discovery demonstrates that the documentary hypothesis is false.

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Jan 21, 2023

In this exciting 4th episode with Dr. Scott Stripling and Dr. Peter van der Veen, Scott and Peter reveal the full translation of the inscription on the inside of the Mount Ebal curse tablet (what has been/can be deciphered thus far).

Dr. Stripling and Dr. van der Veen also share additional archaeological evidence and context from the altar site that helps to further date this inscription to around the time of Joshua.

Dr. Stripling then points to the theological significance behind this Proto-Hebrew curse and its connection to a theme that runs throughout the pages of Scripture - the blood of the innocent to cover the guilty.

 

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Jan 28, 2023

In our 5th episode with Dr. Scott Stripling and Dr. Peter van der Veen, Scott and Peter share the reaction of the archaeological community to the Mount Ebal curse tablet.

Dr. Stripling discusses the press conference that was held at the Lanier Theological Library to announce the discovery and how millions of people have learned about this amazing artifact because of it.

Dr. van der Veen and Dr. Stripling also share about critics who lashed out prematurely, attacking the find, yet have no basis for their criticisms. Dr. Stripling then relays that the response, as a whole, has been overwhelmingly positive.

This tablet will forever change the world of biblical archaeology - as it has major implications for the Exodus and Conquest and what period in history we should search for evidence of these events.