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Excavations North of Jerusalem Reveal Fragment Inscribed "Son of the High Priest"
[Israel Antiquities Authority] In excavations north of Jerusalem, a fragment of a sarcophagus cover was found engraved in Hebrew script, characteristic of the Second Temple period. The fragment, made of hard limestone, reads: "Ben HaCohen HaGadol" - "Son of the High Priest." It probably refers to one of the priests that officiated in Jerusalem between the years 30 and 70 CE. The Land of Benjamin where the discovery was made is known in scientific literature as the place where the priests resided during the Second Temple period. The site that was exposed is an estate of one of the high priests who served in the Temple in Jerusalem. It seems that the fragment was plundered from its original location and was used in the construction of a later Muslim building erected atop the ruins of the houses from the Second Temple period.