Analysis of 2,600-Year-Old Ink Inscriptions Provides Clues for Dating of Old Testament Texts Archaeology, Linguistics

Historians have long debated whether the first major phase of compilation of Biblical texts took place before or after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah in 586 BC. While they agree that key texts were written starting in the 7th century BC, the exact date of the compilation remains in question. These documents are dated to the latest phase of the First Temple Period in Judah, around 600 BC. A new interdisciplinary study, led by Dr. Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin of Tel Aviv University, Israel, suggests that widespread literacy was required for this massive undertaking and provides empirical evidence of that literacy in the final days of the Kingdom of Judah. Using cutting-edge computerized image processing and machine learning tools, Dr. Faigenbaum-Golovin and her colleagues at Tel Aviv University analyzed 16 ink inscriptions found in the desert fortress of Arad.