Archaeologists in Israel's City of David National Park have discovered a rare stone seal dating to the First Temple period, one of the oldest discoveries since excavations began in the country and supporting Jerusalem's biblical role 2,700 years ago.
“The seal, made of black stone, is one of the most beautiful seals discovered in the excavations of ancient Jerusalem and is executed at the highest artistic level,” excavation director Dr. Yuval Baruch and Navot Rom said in a press release.
Baruch praised the work as evidence that people of that time had more widespread literacy than previously thought.
“Contrary to popular belief, literacy during this period does not appear to have been the preserve of the elite of society,” Baruch argues. “People knew how to read and write at least at a basic level, for commercial reasons.”
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The seal, discovered during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority near the Western Wall and the City of David, depicts a winged figure and a Hebrew name inscribed in ancient Hebrew script. (Eliyahu Yanai, City of David)
“The Neo-Assyrian winged man image is unique and highly unusual for a Late First Temple period hieroglyphic style,” he added, “and the influence of the Assyrian Empire, which conquered the entire region, is clearly evident here.”
The seal depicts a Neo-Assyrian-style winged spirit, which the excavation team claims indicates imperial influence in the region during the 7th and 8th centuries. “The figure holds one arm up in front of him with an open palm, possibly suggesting he is holding something. On either side of the figure is an inscription in ancient Hebrew: 'Le Yehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu',” the press release said.
The announcement added that “the name Jehoezer is well known in the Bible (1 Chronicles 12:7) as an abbreviation of Yehoezer, one of King David's warriors,” and that “the Book of Jeremiah (43:2), which describes the events of this period, mentions a character with a similar name, Azariah ben Hoshaiah. The two parts of his first name are written in reverse order to the name of the seal's owner, and his second name is the same, but appears in an abbreviated form. This style of writing in the text matches the names on the newly discovered seals and is appropriate for this period.”
“This unique discovery joins the countless list of archaeological discoveries in the historic site of Biblical Jerusalem, the City of David, and confirms Jerusalem's biblical heritage,” Ze'ev Orenstein, director of international affairs for the City of David Foundation, told Fox News Digital.
An extremely rare stone seal dating back to the First Temple period, approximately 2,700 years ago, was discovered near the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Davidson Archaeological Gardens during excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David organization. (Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
“This likewise serves as further evidence of the millennia-old ties that the Jewish people have to Jerusalem, not simply as a matter of faith but as a fact,” he said.
Dr. Philip Vukosavovic, an archaeologist and Assyriologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority, declared the find to be “highly unusual and extraordinary,” marking the first time such artefacts have been uncovered in excavations in Israel and in the region.
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The seal has been described as “one of the most beautiful seals discovered in the excavations of ancient Jerusalem.” (Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
“Figures of winged demons are known from Neo-Assyrian art from the 9th to 7th centuries BC and were considered a kind of guardian demon,” Vukosavovic said of the item.
The experts determined that the seal's owner likely chose this particular depiction for his insignia because he felt it “belonged to a broader cultural context.”
“In recent years, increasing archaeological evidence, including the excavations at the City of David and the base of the Temple Mount, has shed light on the extent of Assyrian influence in the region, and especially in Jerusalem,” Baruch said.
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Overview of the excavation site in the City of David National Park, Jerusalem. (Israel Nature and Parks Authority)
Researchers believe the item was worn around the neck as a talisman by a man of high rank in the Kingdom of Judah's government, a conclusion based on the fact that it had holes so that it could possibly be worn on a string, and on the high level of artistry required to create it.
Israel's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Rabbi Amihai Eliyahu, hailed the work as a “magnificent and unique discovery” that “opens a new window into the period of the Jewish kingdom and testifies to the regime's international connections.”
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“In doing so, it demonstrates the importance and centrality of Jerusalem already 2,700 years ago,” Eliyahu said. “It is impossible not to be moved by coming face to face with a chapter of our past, during the height of the glory of the First Temple.”
The City of David team will be putting the seal on public display for two days next week, on September 4th and 5th, during their annual research conference in Jerusalem.
