Lost in Time, Found by AI

On a windswept hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley, where ancient kings once walked, a small piece of pottery has kept its secrets for two thousand years. Written in ink, barely visible to the naked eye, a simple name - "Eleazar" - waited patiently to tell its story. Who was this man, living in one of Judea's most formidable fortresses during the tumultuous days of the Second Temple period? Was he a soldier keeping watch over the valley below, a royal official serving the Hasmonean dynasty, or perhaps a prisoner in what historical records tell us served as both palace and prison? Was he a rebel? Or perhaps a refugee finding a safe haven during the first Jewish-Roman War?

Image credit: Yodan Fleitman

For forty years after its discovery, this pottery fragment, known as an ostracon, kept its silence. But now, through the marriage of ancient archaeology and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, Eleazar's name has emerged from the depths of time, offering a rare glimpse into Jewish life during one of history's most fascinating periods. The fortress where this inscription was found, Sartaba-Alexandrium, wasn't just any military outpost - it was a place where the history of Jewish sovereignty played out and where the last Hasmonean kings were buried.

For centuries, the fortress of Sartaba-Alexandrium has stood sentinel over the Jordan Valley, its secrets locked within its ancient stones. Among these secrets was a simple piece of pottery bearing the name of Eleazar - one of many artifacts discovered in the early 1980s by a Hebrew University expedition, only to lie dormant for four decades, its message hidden in faded ink marks.

But history has a way of revealing itself to those patient enough to wait. Through an extraordinary collaboration between archaeologists and technology experts, Eleazar's story has finally emerged. Using a groundbreaking combination of hyperspectral photography and artificial intelligence, developed Dr. Ariel Schwarz, Dr. Amir Shemer and Dr. Yosef Danan from Jerusalem's Azrieli Academic College of Engineering, these ancient words have come back to life: "Eleazar bar Ger[...] from House of Akiman."

The significance of this discovery extends far beyond a single name. Sartaba-Alexandrium wasn't just any fortress - it was a place where history happened. Named after Alexander Jannaeus, it served as both palace and prison for the Hasmonean dynasty and later, King Herod himself. These walls witnessed the imprisonment of Miriam the Hasmonean and her mother Alexandra, hosted Roman dignitaries like Marcus Agrippa, and possibly sheltered rebels during the Great Revolt against Rome.

The modern-day detectives behind this discovery - Professors Esther Eshel and Hagai Misgav - explain that Eleazar's name opens a window into Jewish life during this pivotal period. It was a common name among Jews of the late Second Temple period, appearing alongside other Hasmonean family names like Judah, Jonathan, Simon, and John. The mysterious "bar Ger" following his name might indicate his father was a convert to Judaism, adding another layer to our understanding of Jewish society at the time.

Now, after forty years of silence, Sartaba-Alexandrium is ready to reveal more of its secrets. A new archaeological project, led by Dr. Dvir Raviv from Bar-Ilan University, is set to uncover more stories from this dramatic period of Jewish history. Each artifact they unearth, each inscription they decode, adds another piece to the puzzle of life in ancient Judea.

The discovery of a rare coin bearing Tiberius's portrait, minted around 19-20 CE in Syria, hints at the complex relationship between Jewish and Roman authorities during this period. Like pieces in a historical mosaic, these findings help us reconstruct the rich tapestry of life in the Second Temple period.

This research is part of a new archaeological project launching at the Sartaba-Alexandrium fortress, conducted jointly by Dr. Dvir Raviv from Bar-Ilan University's Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology , Binyamin Har-Even, and Haim Cohen from the Civil Administration's Archaeology Unit.

Civil Administration Archaeology Officer Benny Har-Even describes the renewal of archaeological work at Sartaba-Alexandrium after forty years as "a significant historic moment," while Heritage Ministry Director General Itai Granot emphasizes that "this exciting finding provides additional evidence of the Jewish people's deep and unbreakable connection to the Land of Israel. The decoding of Eleazar's name on the pottery, at a central site from the Hasmonean period, joins the chain of evidence testifying to continuous Jewish presence throughout the land, from the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem."