ABSTRACT
The mark of the hand is important to us. It conveys intention and holds meaning. We value a signature because it indicates authorship – we require it on legal documents, we expect it on paintings, we treasure signed books. Other marks of the hand, though anonymous, can still elicit a sense of connection. Roman soldiers, garrisoned in the Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, carved crude game boards into the flagstones. These simple inscriptions conjure thoughts about their lives, their world, their idle hours – and we draw parallels with our own lives because we too experience idle hours, we too seek amusement and conviviality.
