A rare Assyrian inscription discovered near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount has provided the first written evidence of direct relations between the Assyrian Empire and the Kingdom of Judah, during the time of the First Temple in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced.

It also reveals the extent of Assyrian sway over Judea, given that the inscription was a tax notice issued to a king of Judah.

The find, a tiny clay fragment just over an inch wide, was inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform and dates back about 2,700 years. It mentions a late payment, the first day of the Hebrew month of Av, and an Assyrian court title known as “holder of the reins.”