Archaeologists have discovered a 500-year-old Chinese inscription on a piece of blue-and-white porcelain found on Mount Zion, representing the oldest known Chinese writing found in Israel.
The inscription states, “Forever we will protect the eternal spring,” and was uncovered during a three-year collaborative excavation conducted by the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology. The discovery was made this summer by Israeli archaeologist Michael Chernin.
As per the press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority, “the bowl dates back to 1520-1570 and is from the Ming Dynasty.”
According to Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido, “In archaeological research, evidence of trade relations between merchants in the Land of Israel and the Far East is known even from earlier periods – for example, of various spices. But it is fascinating to meet evidence of these relations also in the form of an actual inscription, written in the Chinese language, and in an unexpected place – on Mount Zion in Jerusalem”
It is believed that the bowl made its way to Jerusalem during the early years of Ottoman rule, which spanned from the 16th to the 20th century.
The IAA explained that “according to Ming Dynasty records, approximately 20 official Ottoman delegations visited the imperial court in Beijing between the 15th and 17th centuries,” providing insight into how the bowl may have reached the area.
Additionally, the writings of the Chinese scholar Ma Li from 1541 reference colonies of Chinese merchants in Lebanese coastal cities like Beirut and Tripoli. His work also mentions other significant cities in the region, including Jerusalem, Cairo, and Aleppo.
Cover Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority
