A Roman Military Funerary Inscription from the Legionary Base of the VI Ferrata at Legio, Israel

A complete Latin funerary inscription was found during an infrastructure development excavation near the legionary base of the Legio VI Ferrata at Legio. This funerary epitaph for a miles of the VIth Legion is the only complete inscription of its kind from Legio and, therefore, is an important contribution to the history of the legion during its tenure in Syria-Palaestina. In the epigraphic study of the inscription, a specific set of metrological characteristics were identified that have previously only been documented in formal imperial inscriptions. This raises questions about the availability of high-level lapidaries to ordinary soldiers in the context of their service. A review of the existing inscriptions attesting legionaries of Legio VI Ferrata is further provided to contextualize the epitaph

Three Types of Early Chalcolithic Prestige Stone Vessels from the southern Levant

Abstract. Three types of stone vessels from surveyed and excavated sites in Israel are presented and discussed: bowls with very small lug handles attached to the rim, bowls decorated with an incised row of lozenges on their exterior and chalices with a solid pedestaled base. The first two types are usually made of limestone, while the chalices are made of basalt. Each of the types was found in at least two sites and are associated only with Early Chalcolithic (ca. 5800-4500 BCE) remains, thus proposed to be characteristics of the period in central and northern Israel. Moreover, their high quality, relative scarcity and significance suggest they were prestige vessels.Résumé. Trois types de vases en pierre provenant de sites étudiés et fouillés en Israël sont présentés et discutés: des bols avec de très petites poignées attachées au bord, des bols décorés d’une rangée de losanges incisés sur leur extérieur et des coupes à pied plein. Les deux premiers types sont généralement fabriqués en calcaire, tandis que les coupes sont en basalte. Chacun de ces types a été trouvé sur au moins deux sites et sont associés uniquement à des vestiges du Chalcolithique ancien (vers 5800-4500 av. J.-C.), suggérant qu’ils sont caractéristiques de cette période dans le centre et nord d’Israël. En outre, leur grande qualité, leur rareté relative et leur importance suggèrent qu’il s'agissait de récipients de prestige