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United Monarchy · 8th century BCE (disputed)
Ivory Pomegranate (contested)
Thumb-sized ivory pomegranate once thought to come from Solomon's Temple.
Date
8th century BCE (disputed)
Culture
Judahite
Material
Hippopotamus ivory
Dimensions
43 mm tall
Found at
Provenance unknown (market)
Held by
Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Discovered by
Purchased 1988 (1979)
ivorytempledisputed
Description
A small ivory pomegranate bearing a Paleo-Hebrew inscription that appears to read "[Belonging to the Temple of Yah]weh, holy to the priests." Its authenticity remains contested.
Biblical significance
If genuine, it would be the only known artifact from Solomon's Temple. The ongoing debate itself illustrates the rigor with which biblical archaeology tests its evidence.
