A Holy Land Limestone Bread Stamp,
ca. 1st - 3rd century CE

with elaborate incised design detail to base, and a raised handle at the top that extends the length of the stamp.

Bread has always had symbolic significance. It has been offered to gods, served to important guests, and used to signify covenants of peace. The practice of stamping dough with special bread stamps before baking was customary and not necessarily for religious reasons.

Condition: Intact and in very good condition overall

Dimensions: 3 x 2 1/4 inches (7.6 x 5.7 cm)

Provenance: Private collection of Ambassador Morris Draper ( 1928-2005) and Mrs Roberta Hornig Draper ( 1933-2021) acquired in Israel in the 1970s.  Collection number:  899 added in black ink to the side.

Ambassador Morris Draper, was a career diplomat and member of the State Department's Foreign Service for over 35 years. Ambassador Draper faithfully served the Department of State and the American people in diplomatic postings in the Near East, Europe, and East Asia, including as Consul General in Jerusalem and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. He was a key player in the Camp David Peace Accords and the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979. From 1981-1983, he served as President Reagan's Special Middle East Envoy in negotiations regarding the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon. In many ways our current efforts on behalf of a peaceful, sovereign, independent Lebanon build upon the work Ambassador Draper began over two decades ago.