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2,000-Year-Old Receipt Found At Archaeological Site

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Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
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Israeli archaeologists recently uncovered a 2,000-year-old financial record in Jerusalem, revealing the find Wednesday.

The 2,000-year-old record was found in a trench originally dug by two British archaeologists working at the turn of the last century, around 120 years ago, Haaretz reported. Somehow, the Brits missed the limestone tablet containing what appears to be a financial record like a receipt, which dated back to the Early Roman period.

The seven fragmented lines on the tablet are written in Hebrew, alongside a series of numbers, Haaretz continued. The Israel Antiquities Authority believes that this could mean that the tablet was used as a financial record, and is likely a receipt.

Similar Hebrew inscriptions have been found before, all dating back to the same period in Rome’s dawning presence as a mini-superpower in the West. All of the other tablets and inscriptions were uncovered within the vicinity of Jerusalem and in the city of Beit Shemesh, Haaretz noted.

The latest discovery is the first to come from the heart of the City of David along ancient Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage road, and is not too far from the Temple Mount, according to Medialine.

“The everyday life of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who resided here 2,000 years ago is expressed in this simple object,” the researchers behind the discovery said. “Receipts were also used in the past for commercial purposes, and that such a receipt has reached us is a rare and gratifying find.” (RELATED: Local Swimmer Discovers 1,800-Year-Old Marble Cargo Shipwreck In Israel)

The inscriptions on the tablet have been interpreted as including the name Shimon, which was one of the most popular names from the time period. From here, the etchings appear to mark out abbreviations of monetary value.