Earliest Chinese Inscription in Israel Discovered in Jerusalem

Photo Credit: Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority

Michael Chernin from the Israel Antiquities Authority with the Chinese inscription he found.

On the historic slopes of Mount Zion, where layers of history intertwine, a surprising artifact has emerged, linking the Land of Israel to distant China. During an excavation led by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology, researchers uncovered a fragment of a porcelain bowl bearing a rare 16th-century Chinese inscription: “Forever we will guard the eternal spring.”

This discovery, hailed as a groundbreaking find, surfaced amidst a dig primarily focused on much earlier periods, including the Byzantine and Second Temple eras. “Finding an object of this nature from a later time and such an unexpected origin is astonishing,” said Professor Dieter Vieweger, who oversees the project.

The find occurred during preparatory work for the excavation season this past summer. Michael Chernin, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority, noticed a small, colorful shard protruding from the dirt. Cleaning the fragment revealed an intricate inscription, later identified by Dr. Anna de Vincenz, a pottery specialist, as Chinese in origin. Jingchao Chen, a researcher at Hebrew University, deciphered the script, linking it to the Ming Dynasty, specifically between 1520 and 1570.

While Chinese porcelain has been unearthed in Israel before, this marked the first discovery of an inscribed piece. Its journey to Mount Zion remains a puzzle, though historical records suggest robust trade between the Ming Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire, which governed the region in the 16th century.

Ottoman delegations reportedly visited Beijing around 20 times during this period, fostering trade routes that likely introduced such treasures. Chinese scholar Ma Li’s writings from 1541 describe Chinese merchant colonies in Levantine port cities like Beirut and Tripoli, with mentions of regional hubs including Jerusalem, Cairo, and Aleppo.

“This artifact underscores the depth and complexity of global connections in the pre-modern world,” said Dr. de Vincenz. “It’s a tangible reminder of how far-reaching cultural and commercial exchanges were, even centuries ago.”