Samaria Ostraca

The Samaria Ostraca are approximately 100 inscribed pottery fragments discovered in 1910 at Samaria, the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel. Dating to the early 8th century before the common count, they record deliveries of wine and olive oil to the royal palace.

Written in Paleo-Hebrew script, the inscriptions mention individuals, villages, and clans, including names associated with the biblical tribe of Manasseh. They provide direct archaeological evidence of Israel's administrative organization, agricultural economy, and Hebrew writing practices, offering valuable insight into everyday life and government in the northern kingdom before its destruction by Assyria.