A Previously Unpublished Ceramic Assemblage of the Babylonian–Persian Periods from Tell en-Naṣbeh

Abstract

Archival work among the Tell en-Naṣbeh materials housed in the Badè Museum in Berkeley, California, turned up evidence of a previously unpublished assemblage of in situ storage jars that was excavated in April, 1932. These jars seem to belong to the Babylonian–Persian periods. While the assemblage was obviously known to the excavators, for some unknown reason the jars were not published or discussed as such in the original 1947 site report. This paper discusses how the archival material was discovered, issues involving the interpretation of these old excavation materials, the unusual context of the jars, parallels for the jars and how they add to our knowledge of the site and its history following the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.