Temple Warning Inscription

The Temple Warning Inscription is an ancient Greek inscription from Jerusalem's Second Temple, dating to the late 1st century before the common count or 1st century. Discovered in 1871, it warned non-Jews against entering the inner sacred precinct beyond the stone barrier known as the Soreg, under penalty of death.

The inscription provides direct archaeological evidence of religious restrictions governing access to the Temple during the Herodian period. Its wording closely corresponds to descriptions by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who mentioned warning inscriptions around the sanctuary.

The discovery offers valuable insight into the Temple's organization, Jewish purity regulations, and religious life before its destruction in 70.