Archaeologists have discovered a rare stone seal from the First Temple period in Israel’s City of David National Park – one of the oldest finds since excavations began in the country, confirming Jerusalem’s biblical role 2,700 years ago.
“The seal, made of black stone, is one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem and is executed at the highest artistic level,” said Dr. Yuval Baruch and Navot Rom, the leaders of the excavations, in a press release.
Baruch praised the piece as evidence of literacy skills on a larger scale than previously thought at the time.
“Contrary to popular belief, literacy was evidently not the preserve of the elite during this period,” Baruch argued. “People could read and write – at least at a basic level, for the needs of commerce.”
ISRAEL OPENS ANCIENT ROME TOMBS TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME: “WONDERFUL PAINTINGS”
The seal, discovered during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority near the Western Wall and the City of David, features a winged figure and a Hebrew name in Paleo-Hebrew script. (Eliyahu Yanai, City of David)
“The figure of a winged man in a distinct Neo-Assyrian style is unique and very rare in the glyph styles of the late First Temple period,” he added. “The influence of the Assyrian Empire, which had conquered the entire region, is clearly evident here.”
The seal depicts a winged spirit in the style of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which the excavation team says demonstrates the empire’s influence in the region in the 7th and 8th centuries. The press release states that the “figure raises one arm forward with the palm open; perhaps to indicate that it is holding an object. On either side of the figure is engraved an inscription in Paleo-Hebrew script – “LeYeho’ezer ben Hosh’ayahu.”
The press release goes on to say: “The name Yehoʼezer is known to us from the Bible (Chron. I 12:7) in its abbreviated form – Yoʼezer, one of King David’s warriors,” and it also explains that “in the book of Jeremiah (43:2), which describes the events of this period, a person is mentioned with a parallel name: ʼAzariah ben Hoshʼaya. The two parts of his first name are written in reverse order to the name of the seal owner, and his second name is the same and appears in its abbreviated form. This spelling in the text matches the name on the newly discovered seal and is therefore appropriate for this period.”
Ze’ev Orenstein, director of international affairs at the City of David Foundation, told Fox News Digital: “This unique find joins the list of countless archaeological discoveries in the City of David – the historic site of biblical Jerusalem – and confirms Jerusalem’s biblical heritage.”
The extremely rare, approximately 2,700-year-old stone seal from the First Temple period was discovered during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David organization near the southern wall of the Temple Mount in the Davidson Archaeological Garden. (Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.)
“It is also a further confirmation of the millennia-old connection of the Jewish people with Jerusalem – not just as a matter of faith, but as a fact,” he said.
Archaeologist and Assyriologist Dr. Filip Vukosavovic of the Israel Antiquities Authority described the find as “extremely rare and unusual” and said it was the first time such an artifact had been found during excavations in Israel and the region.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER PRIVACY BARRIER POSSIBLE USED BY FAMOUS PLAYWRITERS IN BRITISH OLDEST THEATRE
The seal is described as “one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem.” (Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.)
“Figures of winged demons are known in Neo-Assyrian art of the 9th to 7th centuries BC and they were considered a kind of protective demon,” Vukosavovic said of the object.
The experts concluded that the owner of the seal may have chosen this particular depiction as a badge because he may have perceived it as “fitting into the broader cultural context.”
“In recent years, archaeological evidence has been mounting – particularly in excavations in the City of David and at the foot of the Temple Mount – and is shedding light on the extent of the influence of Assyrian culture in our region and especially in Jerusalem,” Baruch said.
Vandalism discovered on the Gettysburg battlefield, monument conservationists remove traces of defacement: “Sacred ground”
Overview of the archaeological site in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem. (Israel Nature and Parks Authority)
The researchers assume that the object was worn as an amulet around the neck of a man who held a high position in the administration of the Kingdom of Judah. They base their conclusion on the presence of a hole drilled through the piece, which probably allowed it to be worn on a cord, and on the high level of artistry required to create the piece.
Israel’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, praised the piece as a “spectacular and unique find” that “opens another window into the days of the Kingdom of Judah … and testifies to the government’s international connections.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This highlights the importance and centrality of Jerusalem 2,700 years ago,” said Eliyahu. “It is impossible not to be moved by such an immediate and direct encounter with a chapter of our past, a time when the First Temple stood in all its glory.”
The City of David team will put the seal on public display for two days next week during the annual research conference in Jerusalem, with tours on September 4 and 5.
