Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Receipt on the City of David’s Pilgrimage Road

The receipt, a small piece of chalkstone, has a carved name of “Shimon” in Hebrew. It also has carvings of letters and numbers, Israel National News reports.

The chalkstone was found in an excavation site in the Jerusalem Walls National Park.

“The stone slab was initially used as an ossuary (burial chest), commonly used in Jerusalem and Judea during the Early Roman Period,” a statement from the IAA said.

“The everyday life of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who resided here 2,000 years ago is expressed in this simple object. At first glance, the names and numbers may not seem exciting, but to think that, just like today, receipts were also used in the past for commercial purposes, and that such a receipt has reached us, is a rare and gratifying find that allows a glimpse into everyday life in the holy city of Jerusalem.”

The Pilgrimage Road ran from the city gate to the Pool of Siloam near the City of David and to the Temple Mount and the Second Temple. It was the most important road in Jerusalem, experts say.

“It is not a coincidence that the many discoveries which are being revealed in the excavation shed light on the centrality of this road even during the Second Temple period,” said IAA Director Eli Escusido. “With every discovery, our understanding of the area deepens, revealing this street’s pivotal role in the daily lives of Jerusalem’s inhabitants 2,000 years ago.”

Researchers wrote about the discovery in a recently published archaeological journal, saying the findings show them a glimpse into the “archaeological puzzle” of ancient Jerusalem.

“Each piece of information, and certainly an ancient inscription, adds a new and fascinating dimension to the history of the city,” Epigraphist Prof. Esther Eshel wrote in the report.

Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Vicvaz

Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.