Trumpeting Place Inscription

A carved limestone block discovered in 1968 by Benjamin Mazar during excavations at the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The block had fallen from the top of the Temple platform during the Roman destruction in 70 AD and was found in the debris below. The Hebrew inscription reads "to the place of trumpeting" (lebeit hateki'a), indicating the spot where a priest would stand to announce the beginning and end of the Sabbath and festivals by blowing a trumpet (shofar). This practice is consistent with descriptions in the Mishnah (Sukkah 5:5) and by the historian Josephus, who writes that priests would signal from the Temple's pinnacle. The inscription provides direct evidence of Temple rituals and practices described in Jewish sources. Combined with the Temple Warning Inscription (which prohibited Gentile entry), it offers a rare glimpse into the operational details of Herod's Temple before its destruction.