Temple Warning Inscription
What Was Found
A limestone block approximately 90 by 60 centimeters, inscribed in Greek with a warning originally mounted on the low stone barrier (soreg) surrounding the inner courts of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem. The complete tablet was discovered in 1871 by French archaeologist Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau near the Temple Mount. A second, fragmentary copy was found in 1936 by J. H. Iliffe during road construction near the Lions' Gate; this fragment retained traces of red paint, indicating the warnings were meant to be highly visible. The Greek text reads: "No foreigner is to enter within the balustrade and enclosure around the temple. Whoever is caught will be responsible for his own death that will follow." The historian Josephus describes these very signs in both Jewish War (5.5.2) and Antiquities (15.11.5), stating they were written in Greek and Latin. The inscription directly illuminates the incident in Acts 21:27-31, where Paul was accused of bringing the Gentile Trophimus of Ephesus past this barrier, provoking a riot. The complete tablet is at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums; the 1936 fragment is at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
The Text Itself
No foreigner is to enter within the balustrade and enclosure around the temple. Whoever is caught will be responsible for his own death that will follow.— Published by the Palestine Exploration Fund (1871); Clermont-Ganneau's original report
Why This Matters
Directly corroborates Josephus's description of warning signs in the Temple and provides archaeological context for the Acts 21 incident where Paul was accused of bringing Trophimus past the barrier.
Acceptance Assessment
Universally Accepted
Both the inscription's authenticity and its connection to Josephus's description (Jewish War 5.5.2, Antiquities 15.11.5) are universally accepted.
What Scholars Debate
Debate exists over whether the inscription excluded all Gentiles or only unconverted Gentiles. The 1936 fragment shows traces of red paint that originally highlighted the text, indicating the warnings were meant to be highly visible.