Royal Steward Inscription, c. 700 BCE

Discovered in 1870 by French excavator Clermont-Ganneau, this elite epitaph ornamented a family tomb hewn into bedrock in the modern Arab village of Silwan near the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. While the name of the decedent is damaged, the inscription clearly gives his title as “the one over the house,” which refers to the chamberlain or steward of the royal palace. Dating to the late eighth or early seventh century, the text also features a stern warning to any who would dare disturb the remains of this once important official of Judah- “Cursed is the man who opens this!” The inscription consists of three lines of Paleo-Hebrew script inscribed on the lintel of a door to a tomb. It was translated by Nachman Avigad. The epitaph of the royal steward is on permanent display in the British Museum.

See also-

Silwan, Jerusalem- The Survey of the Iron Age Necropolis, Prof. David Ussishkin