Bible Dictionary
OSTRACA
Ostraca are broken pieces of pottery used as inexpensive writing material. Ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Coptic ostraca preserve accounts, letters, receipts, memoranda, and portions of Christian texts, providing evidence about ordinary life and written language.
Biblical Usage
The Septuagint uses the word for the potsherd taken by Job. The New Testament describes human beings as earthen vessels, and later Christian ostraca preserve portions of Gospel texts, letters, hymns, and other Christian writings.