Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin|Arie Shaus|Barak Sober|Eli Turkel|E. Piasetzky|Israel Finkelstein
Algorithmic handwriting analysis of the Samaria inscriptions illuminates bureaucratic apparatus in biblical Israel
Tel Aviv University|Tel Aviv University|Harvard University|Duke University|Tel Aviv University|Tel Aviv University|Tel Aviv University
past excavations samaria capital biblical israel yielded corpus hebrew ink clay inscriptions ostraca documents wine oil shipments palace surrounding localities many questions regarding early 8th century bce texts particular location composition debated authorship countryside villages estates would attest widespread literacy relatively early phase ancient israels history report algorithmic investigation 31 inscriptions study establishes likely written two scribes recorded shipments samaria achieved results method comprised image processing newly developed statistical learning techniques outcomes contrast previous results indicated widespread literacy kingdom judah century half two centuries later ca 600 bce