This alabaster jar comes from 5th century BC Egypt, and is inscribed with the name of the Persian King Xerxes–sometimes called Ahasuerus–who is referred to in the Bible in such passages as Ezra 4: 6. It is inscribed in both cuneiform and hieroglyphs, and is about ten inches high. It is now located in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.PHOTO: © Michael J. Caba