
This letter, dating to the First Temple period, contains one of the earliest references to the Temple (the "House of God"). Found in the fortress at Arad, it is addressed to Elyashib, the fortress commandment. It was presumably dispatched by one of his subordinates, who seems to have been sent to Jerusalem in search of a certain individual, who was discovered in the Temple.
Inscription:
To my lord Eliashib, may the Lord seek your welfare, and now: Give to Shemaryahu a lethekh(?), and to the Kerosi give a homer(?), and as to the matter which you commanded me - it is well; he is in the house of God.
From the Israel Museum publications:
The Israel Museum, Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005