O. Elusa 2: Another Enigmatic Ostracon from the Pottery Workshop at Elusa in Byzantine Palestine

Abstract

A rather enigmatic Greek ostracon (O. Elusa 2) was recovered during the 1997 excavation season at Elusa in the Negev Desert. This ostracon is analysed in light of its archaeological setting, namely, a Byzantine pottery workshop, and the associated finds from the workshop, including a previously published ostracon (O. Elusa 1). Such an integrative approach underscores the importance of combining papyrological and archaeo- logical information for the interpretation of excavated texts.