The So-Called Mount Ebal Curse Tablet A Critical Response

Stripling et al. (2023) published a lead object they believe was inscribed with a Late Bronze Age Hebrew curse, supposedly the earliest known Old Hebrew inscription. If true, this would be a sensational archaeological find. However, serious methodological and factual problems undermine their claims. We contend that their tomographic images fail to demonstrate any discernible letters and have concerns about the authors' dating of the archaeological material from this site. Here, we critically examine their claims, suggesting that most conclusions lack an empirical basis. Ultimately, this artifact is most reasonably understood as an uninscribed lead fishing-net weight.