--- title: The Gezer Calendar author: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8765/the-gezer-calendar/ format: machine-readable-alternate updated: 1970-01-01 --- # The Gezer Calendar _Authored by [Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/OsamaSMAmin/)_ ## Image File [![The Gezer Calendar](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/8765.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/8765.jpg) ## Image Caption The [Gezer](https://www.worldhistory.org/Gezer/) calendar is regarded as the oldest Hebrew inscription as yet known. The inscription is scratched on a tablet of soft, chalky limestone and its lower part is broken and lost. The oblique fracture passes as square thought to have been made for a peg by which it was affixed to a [wall](https://www.worldhistory.org/wall/). It has seven lines of horizontal [writing](https://www.worldhistory.org/writing/) and the eighth line was written vertically and only partly survives. Père Vincent\* interprets the signs as follows: (1) Two months, late crops-Two months, (2) Sowing-two months, spring crops- (3) One month, cutting flax- (4) One month, harvest of barely- (5) One month, all the harvest- (6) Two months, fruit vines- (7) One month, summer fruits (8) Abi The eighth line "Abi" is interpreted as the name of the person who scribed the tablet. Some scholars believe that the inscription is not a calendar, but a record which gives a rotation of agricultural labors, written for some unknown administrative purpose. It is also thought that the tablet was a kind of a scrap material and some of the signs belonged to earlier writings, which the scribe himself corrected. Limestone. Circa 925 BCE. From Gezer (Tell el-Jezer), in modern-day State of [Israel](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Israel/). (Museum of [Archaeology](https://www.worldhistory.org/Archaeology/), Istanbul, [Turkey](https://www.worldhistory.org/Asia_Minor/)). \*Pasinli, Alpay. Istanbul Archaeological Museums. Istanbul: A Turizm Yayınları, 2012. #### Editorial Review This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## About the Author Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world. - [Facebook Profile](https://www.facebook.com/MRCPian) - [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/osama-shukir-muhammed-amin/) ## Cite This Work ### APA Amin, O. S. M. (2018, June 04). The Gezer Calendar. *World History Encyclopedia*. ### Chicago Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Gezer Calendar." *World History Encyclopedia*, June 04, 2018. . ### MLA Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Gezer Calendar." *World History Encyclopedia*, 04 Jun 2018, . ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/OsamaSMAmin/ "User Page: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin"), published on 04 June 2018. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Copyright](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright). You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.