Ancient seal discovered in Temple Mount soil may link to King Josiah's era - Joanie Margulies

 

by Joanie Margulies

Based on the writing style, the sealing dates to the late First Temple period, approximately the late-7th to early-6th century BCE.

 

Archaeologist Mordechai Ehrlich holding the sealing.

(photo credit: ZACHI DVIRA)

 

A rare clay sealing, bearing an ancient Hebrew inscription that reads "Belonging to Yed[a]yah (son of) Asayahu," has been uncovered by archaeologists at the Temple Mount Sifting Project, the project announced on Wednesday morning.  

This intriguing find raises the possibility of a direct connection to a significant biblical event: the discovery of a sacred law scroll during the reign of King Josiah, just decades before the First Temple's destruction.

The well-preserved clay impression was discovered about three weeks ago by archaeologist Mordechai Ehrlich, on the eve of the Jewish fast of the 17th of Tammuz. Researchers, epigrapher Dr. Anat Mendel-Geberovich and Zachi Dvira, thoroughly studied the seal and deciphered the inscription.

Marks on the back indicate it sealed a bag or storage container, and remarkably, it still bears a clear fingerprint, likely from the ancient official who owned it. Based on the writing style, the sealing dates to the late First Temple period, approximately the late-7th to early-6th century BCE.

The names on the sealing evoke biblical figures. Around 2,600 years ago, King Josiah of Judah ordered repairs to the Jerusalem Temple. During these repairs, an ancient sacred scroll was found, believed to be the Pentateuch book of Deuteronomy.

A rare clay sealing from the Temple Mount. (credit: ZACHI DVIRA)

The scroll's warnings deeply alarmed King Josiah, who then sent trusted officials, including a senior official named Ashayahu, described as "the king’s servant," to seek divine counsel. Given Ashayahu's prominent role, archaeologists consider it highly plausible that his son, Yedayah, also held a significant position at the time or shortly thereafter.

Seals of this type were typically reserved for high-ranking officials

Seals of this type were typically reserved for high-ranking officials. Many individuals identified in similar discoveries from Jerusalem have been directly linked to biblical-era officials. The artifact's discovery on the Temple Mount further strengthens the potential connection, suggesting its owner was involved in Temple administration or the royal household, much like his father.

The ultimate fate of Yedayah remains unknown, but the historical context is dramatic. Decades after these events, Jerusalem's walls were breached by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, the Temple was destroyed, and many Jerusalemites, including senior officials, were exiled to Babylon.

For about two decades, the Temple Mount Sifting Project has meticulously sifted through soil illegally excavated from the Temple Mount in 1999 by members of the northern branch of the Israeli Islamic Movement. Thousands of tons of archaeologically rich soil were improperly discarded in the nearby Kidron Valley.

Archaeologists Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira (Zweig) established the project under the academic sponsorship of Bar-Ilan University’s Institute of Archaeology. Over 260,000 volunteers have helped recover more than half a million archaeological finds, predominantly from Jerusalem’s First Temple period onward.

The project operates from the Mitspe Hamasuot (Hamasuot Lookout) site on Mount Scopus under the auspices of the Mount of Olives Ridge Jewish Communal Development Fund and is supported by private donations through the Israel Archaeology Foundation and the New York-based American Friends of Beit Orot.

Joanie Margulies

Source: https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-862735

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