Archaeologists have uncovered unprecedented evidence of Chinese-Israeli relations in Jerusalem. The rare 16th-century Chinese inscription was discovered on a porcelain bowl fragment during recent excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology on Mount Zion.
The find emerged from a three-year joint excavation project between the two institutions. While the dig, led by Professor Dieter Vieweger, has primarily yielded artifacts from the Byzantine period and Second Temple era – dating back more than 1,500 years – excavators were astonished to uncover this artifact from a significantly later period and unexpected origin.
The breakthrough came last summer when Michael Tchernin, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority, spotted a colorful object emerging from cleared soil debris during routine preparations for the new excavation season. Upon cleaning the object, Tchernin identified an inscription on its base. Ceramics expert Dr Anna De-Vincenz confirmed the inscription's Chinese origin, after which researcher Jingqiao Chen from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem translated the poetic message: "May we forever preserve the eternal spring."
Dating analysis places the bowl between 1520-1570 CE, during the height of the Ming Dynasty. "While previous excavations in Israel have yielded ancient Chinese porcelain vessels, this marks the first discovery of such a vessel bearing an inscription," researchers explain. The artifact's presence aligns with historical records documenting robust trade relations between the Chinese Empire and the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the region during the 16th century. Ming Dynasty chronicles record approximately 20 Ottoman delegations visiting the imperial court in Beijing between the 15th and 17th centuries.
Contemporary merchant accounts further illuminate these inter-empire connections. A 1541 text by Chinese scholar Ma Li notes the presence of Chinese merchant communities in Lebanese coastal cities, including Beirut and Tripoli, and references other significant regional centers such as Jerusalem, Cairo, and Aleppo.
Eli Eskozido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, emphasized the significance of the find: "While archaeological research has previously revealed evidence of trade relations between Israel and the Far East through discoveries such as spices, encountering direct evidence through a Chinese inscription is extraordinary – particularly in such an unexpected location as Mount Zion in Jerusalem."
