A group of 1,700-year-old tombstones was recently discovered in the ancient city of Tzipori (commonly known by its ancient Greek name, Sepphoris), near Galilee. The stone slabs are inscribed in Greek and Aramaic with the names of various rabbis. Tzipori grew to be a prominent Jewish city after the temple was destroyed. It was there that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi compiled the Mishna, a record of Jewish oral tradition. This discovery will help archaeologists to understand the culture and daily life of the Jewish people at that time.
Off-site Links:
- http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/1700-year-old-inscriptions-linked-to-rabbis-unearthed-in-Galilee-442924
- http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/archaeology/1.699872
- http://virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=19546