Ancient Find Near the Western Wall: A Rare Weight from the First Temple

A tiny stone weight, dating back to the First Temple period, was uncovered during the sifting of soil from an archaeological excavation. The soil originated from the foundations of the Western Wall in the area of Robinson's Arch, north of the City of David. It was transferred from the excavation site to the sifting site located in the Tzurim Valley National Park, where this rare artifact was revealed.

The stone weight is inscribed with the ancient Hebrew letters B, Q, A - spelling the word "bekaa," which appears in the Torah in the context of the half-shekel. As it is written in the Book of Exodus, chapter 38, verse 26:

"a bekah for each person, that is, half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, for everyone who goes through the census, from twenty years old and up, totaling six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty."

This verse is read in the Parashat Shekalim – on the Shabbat before the new month of Adar. The bekah weight served as a measure with which the half-shekel contribution was made by the Israelites, intended for both the maintenance of the Temple and for census purposes.

Archaeologist Eli Shukron, who led the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, explains: "When they brought the half-shekel tax to the Temple during the First Temple period, there were no coins, so they used silver pieces instead. To determine the actual weight of the silver pieces, they placed them on scales and put a bekah weight on the other side – which was equal to half a shekel, which everyone aged twenty and over was required to bring to the Temple."

Bekah weights from the First Temple period are rare finds, but according to Shukron, "this specific weight is even rarer because the inscription on it is in mirror writing, with the letters inscribed from left to right instead of right to left. It can be inferred that the artisan who carved the inscription was skilled in writing seals, as seals were always inscribed in mirror writing, so that upon stamping, the writing would appear normal."

(Photo: Eliyahu Yanai, City of David)