Obsidian Scrying Bowl of the Second Temple

A window into the divine. Kethari priests would fill this bowl with water, burn sacred incense above it, and read the smoke patterns reflected in the volcanic glass surface. The seven circles on the base ensured the smoke was read in proper ritual order.

Inscription

Thul thulen kin-esh vor-an sha-na. Keth-ari bel-esh-an kin-na. Dun ash-keth-na.

/θul θulen kin.eʃ voɾ.an ʃa.na | keθ.aɾi bel.eʃ.an kin.na | dun aʃ.keθ.na/

Translation

“The unyielding obsidian speaks the vision of the water. The Kethari see through the offering of blood. Darkness shall not burn here.”

Interlinear Analysis(click to expand)

Form	Gloss	POS
Thul	stone/obsidian	noun
thulen	hard/obsidian-like[ADJ]	adjective
kin-esh	sight-RESULT=oracle.reading/vision	noun
vor-an	water-GEN=of.the.water	noun
sha-na	spirit-PRES=breathes/speaks/invokes	verb
Keth-ari	flame-people=the.Kethari	noun
bel-esh-an	blood-RESULT-GEN=of.the.sacrifice	noun
kin-na	eye/oracle-PRES=sees/divines	verb
Dun	night/darkness/absence.of.flame	noun
ash-keth-na	NEG-burn-PRES=does.not.burn/is.extinguished	verb

Script: top-to-bottom, right-to-left

Description

A wide, shallow bowl carved from a single piece of highly polished volcanic glass. The interior surface achieves a near-perfect mirror finish — dark and reflective enough to see one's face clearly. The rim is decorated with copper inlay flame motifs and gold leaf accents. Seven concentric circles are etched into the interior base, representing the seven volcanic craters. Used by Kethari priests for smoke divination — incense smoke reflected off the dark surface was interpreted as messages from the Flames.

Scholarly Analysis(click to expand)

The volcanic glass is from the Serath summit — the rarest and most prestigious source. Carving such a thin-walled bowl without fracturing the material required extraordinary skill. Dr. Okonjo argues the seven concentric circles correspond to the seven levels of Kethari priestly initiation. Dr. Vasquez-Mori notes the copper inlay contains trace gold (0.3%), suggesting a transitional period when gold was first being incorporated into Kethari metallurgy. The gold leaf is 0.08mm thick — thinner than the Spirit Figure (APO-2026-00010), suggesting this is a slightly later technique.

Provenance(click to expand)

discoverer: Dr. Helena Vasquez-Mori
discovery date: 2024-08-03
condition notes: Minor rim chips on two locations. Gold leaf partially worn from rim. Interior mirror surface remarkably preserved — sealed storage prevented abrasion. Copper inlay slightly corroded.
excavation team: Ashenmere Institute Field Team 2
discovery location: Second Temple inner sanctum, Kethport, Stratum V