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ELIYAHU YANAI

FRAGMENTS OF LUXURY. Decorated ivories were among the most precious objects enjoyed by ancient Near Eastern royalty. Previously recovered from such royal capitals as Samaria in the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Nimrud in Assyria, these luxury items were also recently identified in Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. Nearly 1,500 ivory fragments, most measuring under an inch wide, were found amid the remains of Building 100 in the Givati Parking Lot excavation. Dating to the end of the First Temple period (early sixth century BCE), they attest to the wealth, status, and connections of Jerusalem’s ruling elites.