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Judaea. Jericho, 5-70 CE. Ossuary. Funerary.
Soft limestone ossuary with finely incised ornamentation
Jericho, Tomb H.
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Ἰωέζρος Ἰωέζρου Γολιάθου
Ἰοέζρος Ἰοέζρου Γολιάθου
Joezer, son of Joezer, of Goliath. Yeho'ezer, son of Yeho'ezer, Goliath. Joezer, son of Joezer, of Goliath.
Ossuary has red wash and low feet. Height describes that of chest plus that of vaulted lid with fingergrips. A hole is bored into the chest's back side above the left foot; Avigad explains similar holes on another ossuary as outlets for body secretions or for the establishment of contact between body and soil (in accordance with Jerusalem Talmud, Kil'ayim 32b). Ornamentation on the chest's front side consists of two metopes in line frames and a triglyph transformed into a palm tree, with curved lines indicating ascending branches above straight, descending branches (fruit twigs?) and roots indicated by straight lines set at an angle to the trunk. Each metope contains a six-petalled rosette within concentric line circles. Ornamentation on the chest's right and left sides is similar; a line frame contains a six-petalled rosette within concentric line circles. First line appears above the rosette on the chest's right side; second line below it, and last line on the lid's front side (see inscription "jeri0015" for identical positioning and language of inscriptions). The spelling Ἰωέζρος is consistent throughout the tomb group, with the exception of this and one other instance of Ἰοέζρος; both differ considerably from spellings Ἰωζάαρ and Ἰωζάρα in the Septuagint and Ἰώζαρος, Ἰόζαρος and Ἰωάζαρος in Josephus, but all represent יועזר, a contraction of יהועזר. The plene form is not recorded at all in Talmudic literature and the contraction appears only once. Γολιάθ is the form in the Septuagint, inflected in Josephus as Γολίαθος. Two men in this family bore the name, which has negative connotations among Jews; such derogatory nicknames, often alluding to a physical characteristic, may have originated as terms of abuse but become accepted family names. The name יהועזר is spelled with two ligatures, of heh and vav and of ῾ayin and zayin. The word בר is also spelled with a ligature, of bet and resh. Other instances of a son bearing his father's name are recorded. Repetition of the name of the deceased may express grief of the mourner(s) or improve upon an unsatisfactory first inscription.