Archeologists discovered a sarcophagus fragment identified with one of the high priests who served in the Second Temple.
The fragment made of hard limestone, discovered in salvage excavations along the security fence north of Jerusalem, bears the inscription “Ben HaCohen HaGadol.”
Though it is impossible to tell which priest’s son the inscription refers to, the sarcophagus should probably be identified with one of the priests that officiated in the Second Temple between the years 30 C.E. and 70 C.E., according to a news release from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Pools and cisterns, public and residential buildings, and agricultural installations that range in date from the end of the Second Temple period to the early Islamic period have been discovered during the course of the excavations. The area is associated with the tribe of Benjamin where the priests resided during the Second Temple period.
The fragment apparently was moved from its original location approximately 1,000 years ago and was used in the construction of a later Muslim building that was erected atop the ruins of the houses from the Second Temple period.