An Abbasid-Period Stone Mold with an Engraved Kufic Arabic Inscription from the Giv‘ati Parking Lot excavations, Jerusalem

Excavations in the Giv‘ati Parking Lot in Jerusalem uncovered extensive architectural remains dating from the Iron Age to the Early Islamic period, the latest dating to the Abbasid period. The remains from the Abbasid period comprise a large commercial area where a metal industry operated. This paper presents an Abbasid-period stone mold for casting metal artifacts engraved with an Arabic inscription, whose purpose and meaning are discussed by the authors based on parallels from material finds and written sources.