Biblical Archaeology Review - January-February 2018

56

WorDs Unseen

January/February 2018

We write to read and to pass along information that

(we hope) others will read. We regularly see exam-

ples of massive writing located on billboards, movie

screens, and shopping centers. We equate such large

letters with power, money, and importance. These

words are weighty.

In certain ways, ancient Israelites viewed written

words along similar lines. Kings inscribed large let-

ters in stone and displayed them at city gates and

other public spaces. As writing in stone, these words

indexed political and economic power. Most people

experienced these impressive words as prominent

displays of royal power. Thus, the iconic function

of writing was relatively easy to understand; they

gave voice to the ability of kings and elites to alter

landscapes and exercise power within a given place.

KETEF HINNOM TOMBS. Ketef Hinnom has seven burial

caves from the late Iron Age (seventh century B.C.E.). Of

these tombs, Cave 24 is one of the largest—with several

burial chambers connected to a central room. The scrolls

were found within an untouched repository in Chamber

25 of Cave 24. Burial benches line three of Chamber 25’s

walls (see image below). Six headrests (only fi ve of which

are preserved) along the right wall would have allowed

six bodies to be laid on that bench, while the other two

benches in the room would have accommodated one

body each (see drawing, left). Although these tombs were

damaged by later quarrying and construction, enough

architectural fragments remain for archaeologists to

reconstruct the burial caves.

ZEV RADOVAN/BIBLELANDPICTURES.COM

RECONSTRUCTION BY LEEN RITMEYER

central

room repository

burial chamber 25