The Bar Kochba Letter (5/6Hev 44 Bar Kokhba)

Description

The Bar Kokhba Letter (5/6Hev 44 Bar Kokhba) was found amongst other manuscripts in the Cave of Letters in the Nahal Hever. This particular papyrus contains the details of the division of the land lot that was leased from Simeon Bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba). This letter dates back to middle of the second century C.E. and was written in Mishnaic Hebrew.

Of their own free will, on this day, have Eleazar son of Eleazar son of Hitta and Eliezer son of Samuel, both of En-gedi, and Te?innah son of Simeon and Alma son of Judah both of ha-Luhith in the (coastal) district of Agaltain, now resident in En-gedi, wished to divide up among themselves the places that they have leased from Jonathan son of MHNYM the administrator of Simeon ben Kosiba, Prince of Israel, at En-gedi.

One of the men mentioned in this historical record is Alma son of Judah. This certainly provides the evidence that the name Alma was used as a male name and not exclusively as female, as it was earlier assumed.

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