ATTENTION EDITORS – IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Israel Antiquities Authority after publication issued a statement that the inscription bearing the name Darius the Great is not authentic. "Following the publication, the expert who participated in the excavation expedition last August, contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority. She is one of the few researchers specializing in ancient Aramaic inscriptions, and admitted demonstrating to a group of students the manner in which sherds were inscribed in ancient times. She then left the sherd on the site, which led to the erroneous identification. She was questioned and said this was done unintentionally and without malice." A 2,500-year-old stone with the inscription of the name of the Persian king Darius the Great, who was the father of King Ahasuerus from the Book of Esther that is read on the Jewish holiday of Purim, is the first of its kind uncovered in Israel, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority, in Tel Lachish archaeological site in southern Israel, March 1, 2023. The stone was used in ancient times as a confirmation of delivery of goods in a warehouse during the Persian period. REUTERS/Amir Cohen REFILE