Epigraphy
Epigraphy is the study of ancient inscriptions, particularly those found in archaeological contexts. It involves identifying the letters or symbols used in an ancient writing, and deciphering the meaning of the text. It sometimes involves trying to restore a text that has been partially destroyed. This means that an epigrapher must have a knowledge of the writing system, the language, the genre, and the cultural context in which the inscription is found.
Doing epigraphy involves the solving of puzzles, especially because inscriptions are rarely completely clear and undamaged. In this section you have the chance of solving some puzzles that are similar to those an epigrapher might run into. You do not need to know any language other than English to solve one of them. The other is simply a matching game.
Article Categories
Non-Biblical Ancient Texts Relating to the Biblical World: Non-biblical inscriptions and documents from ancient times that improve our understanding of the world of the Bible.
Biblical Manuscripts: Images and commentary on ancient and medieval copies of the Bible.
Dead Sea Scrolls: Images and commentary on selected Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts.
USC Archaeology Research Center: Images of artifacts from the teaching collection of the University of Southern California.