1,900-Year-Old Inscription Reveals Previously Unknown Roman Ruler Of Judea

A 1,900-year-old and very unique inscription covering a large rock, has been discovered off Tel Dor coast by Israeli divers working with University of Haifa archaeologists.

The inscription names Gargilius Antiques and the Jewish province of Judea during Roman rule. The rock measures 70 by 65 centimeters and weighs over 600 kilograms; it was covered in sea creatures when it was discovered, according to Haaretz.

The text on the rock apparently reads,

The archaeologists determined that Antiques ruled over Judea just prior to the legendary Bar Kochba revolt against the Roman Empire, fought from 132 to 136 AD. The uprising was eventually crushed, resulting in the exile of Jews, and Emperor Hadrian’s renaming Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina and Judea Syria Palestina.

The inscribed rock is believed to be the base of a statue; it was found in January 2016 during a maritime excavation at the Tel Dor archaeological site.