A collection of 35 gaming dice were recently revealed in Jerusalem. Over the past few years, the Israel Antiquities Authority has been conducting excavations beneath the Western Wall prayer plaza. In 2017, they unearthed a small theater structure dating from the Roman period, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The dice, which were discovered in these excavations, are made of bone and are similar to dice used today. One in particular has two fours, but no three on it, perhaps indicating that it was a loaded die with which someone could take advantage of others. They provide a glimpse into everyday life in the Roman colony of Aelia Capitolina, where soldiers and citizens enjoyed games of chance between battles or on breaks from building structures or while awaiting performances at the theater.
OFF-SITE LINKS:
- https://thekotel.org/en/22830/
- https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-archaeologists-find-largest-collection-of-ancient-dice-in-israel/
- https://youtu.be/IanCSHnpAj4
Read more BREAKING NEWS articles here: https://biblearchaeology.org/current-events-list
