Judean 4 Shekel Weight (8th-6th Cent. BCE)

A Judean 4 Shekel weight. Limestone with a lead insert. Late 8th – Early 6th century BCE, 1st Temple Period.

The lead insert is clearly visible, indicating it was probably used to fix an underweight stone, rather than for creating an overweight counterfeit. The stone is dome- shaped and marked on one side with four lines, an unusal way to denote its weight, as most weighing stones of the time were marked with Egyptian hieratic numerals.