HAIFA, ISRAEL—Live Science reports that a lead sling bullet inscribed with Greek letters has been unearthed in a necropolis near the ancient city of Hippos, which is located in the northern Jordan Valley. Hippos was one of 10 cities in a confederation known as the Decapolis. The Greek, mathou, has been translated to “learn,” or “learn your lesson.” Michael Eisenberg of the University of Haifa suggests that the lemon-shaped bullet was launched from the city’s walls by a Greek-speaker some 2,000 years ago. “This represents local sarcastic humor on the part of the city’s defenders, who wished to teach their enemies a lesson with a wink,” he said. Other molded sling bullets have been found in the region carrying the names of gods, cities, magical symbols, military commanders, and the word “catch,” or “take a taste.” Read the original scholarly article about this research in Palestine Exploration Quarterly. To read more about excavations at Hippos, go to "Mask Metamorphosis."
