Original Historical Documents

THE LIST OF SEAL IMPRESSIONS AND OSTRACON
Hebrew Lexicon Royal Scarabs Scarabs
Image Location Date Found Description Finder Comments
Site of King David's Palace
Site of the more modest King David's Palace. 		Jerusalem - Eilat Mazar
It is believed that both seals came from the same bundle of written pages which were burned probably during the Babylonian destruction, 2.Ki. 25. 		exact dates unknown at this time Two small clay seals have been found in an area described as King David's Palace. One bears the name of Yehuchal ben Shelemayahu, found in 2006, and the other the name of Gedalyahu ben Pashhur, reported in October 2008. No image seen so far. These names are found in the Bible, "Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying . . ." Jeremiah 38:1. Yehuchal is the same as Jucal plus the theophoric `yahu' part of the name. The same with Gedalyahu/Gedaliah.
Near Eilat Tell El-Kheleifeh, Near Eilat
Lachish Layer III 701 BC 		unknown at this time Edomite stamped jar handle reading: `Belonging to Qaws'anal, servant of the king'. The underlined name represents the theophoric part of the name of the god `Qaws' or `Qôs'.; [BAR, Vol. IX, Mar/Apr 1983, p. 35.] Nelson Glueck/Pinkerfeld excavation Image from the Nelson Glueck and Pinkerfeld excavation at Tell El-Kheleifeh, on the norther shore of the Gulf of Aqaba near Eilat. 22 such identical seal impressions on jar handles were found most of them which are not as well preserved as this one.
Beit Mirsim 1928 Tell Beit Mirsim
Lachish Layer III 701 BC. -- Same type seal also found at Ramat Rahel (inside Jerusalem: map) by Aharoni. Dated to 8th century. [See BAR, Sep 2006, p. 38.] 		Winter 1928 Stamped jar handle reading: I'lyqm ncr ywkn' = `Belonging to Eliakim servant of Yokan'; [See Hebrew: belonging, servant (of the king)
`Belonging' often written only as `lamed'.
H.Mommsen, I.Perlman, J.Yellin, `The Provenance of the LMLK Jars', Israel Exploration Journal, 1984, 34:89-113. (Chemical Analysis) 		W.F. Albright In 1981 Nahman Avigad showed that `nacar' was not used for royal officials but for servants of private individuals.
But provenance of seal is still unresolved.
Beth Shemesh Seal Beth Shemesh Early 1930 Stamped jar handle reading: I'lyqm ncr ywkn' = `Belonging to Eliakim servant of Yokan';

 Elihu Grant Today's consensus seems to be that these jar handles and Lachish stratum III belong to 701 BC.
Palace of Ramat Rahel 1961 Palace of Ramat Rahel 1961 Stamped jar handle reading: I'lyqm ncr ywkn' = `Belonging to Eliakim servant of Yokan';

 Yohanan Aharoni Comments
Incised Letters on Chalcedony Seal, late 8th century BC.



BAR, Mar/Apr 1997, p. 46 		unknown unknown Chalcedony seal reading: `Belonging to Abdi servant of Hoshea';

Upper line spelling: `belonging' ; Abdi just as `daled and bet?'
Lower line spelling: `servant (ebed)' just as `bet?' ; letter `resh' unknown meaning;
letters `He', `ayin?' and `shin' as in
`Hoshea' = ?
Purpose of last unknwon. 		unknwon Comments
Seal of Oniyahu, son of Merav Found near Samaria, the seal of `Oniyahu, son of Merav'. before 1993 Found near Samaria, Oniah is the Hebrew word for `ship'. The seal reads then, the `ship of Yahweh'.

unknown Comments
Seal of Jotham
See more detail Here! 		Ezion-Geber 1930's or 1940's The seal shows what could be a bullock in front of which is an object which could represent either a chunk of meat or a metal ingot.

Nelson Glueck Comments: The name `Jotham' occurs in the Bible as 1. that of a son of Gideon, 2. that of a son of King Azariah (Uzziah), 3. and a son of Jahdai. It is thought that the signet ring seal belonged to the son of Uzziah.
Reverse
Seal of Eliashib 		Eliashib, son of Ehiyahu
Letters read it right to left (written left to right):
(1) lamed-aleph-lamed-vav-shin-bet = Belonging (to) Eliashib.
(2) bet-nun-aleph-yod-vav-hay = son (of) Ehiyahu 		bet hebrew 1 q paleo sin paleo wav paleo lamed plaeo alep paleo lamed

Hebrew hay vav yod aleph nun bet

BAR, Vol. XIII, Mar 1987 		unknown Comments: Found at Arad stratum VII.
Seal of Jezebel unknown Says recently discovered in 1993 issue of BAR, Mar/Apr p. 28. Carved in Phoenician style, the seal incorporates such Egyptian elements as the ankh, upper left, a sphinx, and the winged disk. Four mirror image paleo-Hebrew letters, 2 just below the winged disk and 2 at lower left and right, spell out `yzbl', Jezebel (lamedzayinbetyod)

unknown Comments: Besides the Egyptian iconography already mentioned there are also 2 ureaus cobras and the royal hawk. See here and here for more!
1. tsadehayalephnun betWawhayyodqofzayinhaylamed

2. alephlamed
Wawhayyodqofzayinlamed resh hay ayinaleph nunsin

3. betpe wawhay vavhey yodwaw ayinmem lamed

4. mem lamed waw chet waw vav vav lamed ayin 		unknown BAR, Vol. 24, May/June 1998, p. 56 and Vol. 29, Nov/Dec, 2003, p. 25. 1) Reading: "Belonging to Hezekiah (son of ) Ahaz"; This seal shows a cherubim, a man with Egyptian style wings folded before him and the ankh (life) sign behind him.
2) Reading: "Belonging to Ushna, servant of Hezekiah";
3) Reading: "Belonging to Ma `sheyahu, the Judge";
3) Reading: "Ala, wife of Shallum";
 unknown
Seal of Gedaliah Found at Lachish Drawing of a seal impression reading: `Gedaliah who is over the house.'
[`Biblical Archaeology', Mar 1984, p. 57; A very instructive article]
unknwon at this time Comments
Seals: Left `Belonging to Nathan-melech servant of the king'; Right `Nathan who is over the house'; BAR, Mar 2002.
Redrawn by CIAS 		unknown unknown Left Seal reads: `Belonging to Nathan-melech servant of the king';
Right Seal reads: `Nathan who is over the house'; 		unkown
Seal obtained in 2007, `Belonging to Shebnayah, servant of the king'; BAR, May 2009.
 Seal reads: `Belonging to Shebnayahu ... ha melekh'; [BAR, May/Jun 2009.; See also Sargon.] Found by Volkmer Fritz at Lachish, 1966-68, in a juglet containing a hoard of bullae. One of these bullae read, "Shebnahyahu ... ha melekh". Two opinions emerged what the word in the broken off portion could have been. Some said it was the Hebrew word for `son' "ben", others it was the word for `servant', "eved". That meant that `Shebnahyahu son of the king' or `Shebnahyahu servant of the king' was originally written. How to decide? For 42 years no solution was in sight. Then in 2007 another bulla stamped seal with the same name surfaced on the Jerusalem antiquities market. Examination revealed that it was made by the same stamped seal as the former one. Good thing, on this example part of an additional letter to the right of `ha melekh' ended in "daled" (red dot). The original reading, therefore, was `Shabnayahu, servant of the king.' This find helps us to realize that the Shebna lintel reading is correct. See also 2.Kings 18:18,26,27;19:2; Isa. 22:15; 36:3,11,22; 37:2.
Seal of Asayahu The paleo-Hebrew inscription reads, `Belonging to Asayahu, servant of the king' and dates to the 7th century BC. `Asaih' is the shortened form of `Asayahu' and can be read about in 2.Kings 22:12 and 2.Chronicles 34:20. It could be that this seal belonged to Asaiah, a servant of King Josiah, who was sent by the king in 622 BC to the Temple in Jerusalem to examine the Scroll of the Law - perhaps being the Book of Deuteronomy - which was discovered by the High Priest Hilkiah after having been lost sight of. It is of interest to know that Josiah banned horses as a symbol during his religious reform. "He removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun at the entrance to the House of the Lord." 2.Kings 23:11. [BAR, Vol. 22, Mar/Apr 1996, p. 38; See also seal impression translated as, "Belonging to Hanan son of Hilqiyahu (Hilkia?) the priest." 2.Ki. 22:4; Vol. XIII, No. 5, Sep 1987, p. 54; Vol. 27, No. 3, May/Jun 2001, p. 28. ]
Seal of Asayahu The paleo-Hebrew inscription reads, `Belonging to Eliyahu', (the son of) `yaqimyahu' and dates to 700 BC or thereafter. Several individuals bore the name of `Elijah' or `Eliyahu' and similar forms, (1) 1.Chr. 8:27, the chief of a Benjaminite family; (2) two man who had married foreign wives, Ezra 10:21; (3) a priest, Ezra 10:21; (4) a son of Elam, Ezra 10:26. - The second name `yqmyhw', probably a hifil jussive, "may Yaheweh establish", is used of two individuals, both under the shorter form, `yqamyah'. The one is the penultimate descendant named in the line of the Judahite Jerahmeel (1.Chr. 2:41); the other is of royal blood, the 5th son of the captive king Jeconiah/Jehoiachin (1.Chr. 3:18). [BASOR, 220, 1975, p. 63-65]
Seal of Elijah The paleo-Hebrew inscription reads, `Belonging to - not yet determined'. This is an example of a seal ringed with pomegranats as published by D. Diringer, `Le Inscrizioni antico-ebraiche palestinesi' in 1934, Tav. 19:24, Florence: Felice le Monnier. [BASOR, 220, 1975, p. 65]
Inscriptions and Palestinian Names in the Kaufman Seal Collection and in Others [BAR, Vol. 30, Mar/Apr 2004, p. 20f]
  1. "Ala, wife of Shallum"
  2. "Hezekiah (son of) Ahaz, king of Judah"
  3. "Tobshalem, commander of the army"
  4. "Elishama ... servant of Ahaz"
  5. "Ahilu[d]", found on a jar handle in `Ahilud's House' at Khirbet Raddana, near Ai (2.Sam. 8:16; 20:24). [BAR, Vol. IX, Sep/Oct 1983, p. 44]
  6. Belonging to Menahem son of Samak servant of the king"
  7. Belonging to Gaddiyahu son of Adayahu the scribe
  8. Belonging to Ga'layahu son of Adayahu the scribe
  9. Belonging to Tan'el
  10. Belongign to Shamash'azar son of Abdsahr
    [BAR, Vol. 25, May/Jun 1999, p. 41-43.]
 Bullae from the City of David of the First Temple Period - BA, Vol 49, Dec 1986, p. 202-206 & where such a name occurs in the Bible

  1. Bulla belonging to Ephrah/Ahiyahu
  2. Bulla belonging to Elnathan son of Bilgai (2Kin. 24:8; Ezra 8:16; Jer. 26:22; 36:12.25; 1.Chr. 24:14; Neh. 12:5,18)
  3. Bulla belonging to Elishama son of Semakhyah
  4. Bulla belonging to Benayahu son of Hoshayahu
  5. Bulla belonging to Elishama son of Yehoab (or Yehour?)
  6. Bulla belonging to Gadiyahu son of Ezer (2Kin. 15:14,17; 1Chr.1:42; 4:4; 7:21; 12:9; Neh. 3:19; 12:42)
  7. Bulla belonging to Tovshalom son of Zakkur
  8. Bulla belonging to Shfatyahu son of Safan
  9. Bulla belonging to Azaryahu son of Hilkiyahu (Neh.12:36)
  10. Bulla belonging to Gemaryahu son of Shafan (Jer. 29:3; 36:10-12,25)
  11. Bulla belonging to Refayahu son of Ephrah
  12. Bulla belonging to Nahum son of Sheela
  13. Bulla belonging to Azrikam/Mikhayahu (1Chr. 5:24)
Arrowhead Inscriptions and Palestinian Names
[BAR, Vol. 25, May/Jun 1999, p. 42.]
  1. Yattarsidq man of `Ummi'a'
  2. Yakhiba'l brother of Shumba'l
  3. Arrowhead of `Aha' son of Ashtart
Horvat Uza Ostracon Transcription: -lm.L'hqm.bn.m - m
cmdyhw.bn.zkr.mmldh
hoscyhw.bn.nwy.mrn/ptn
mky.bn.hslyhw.mmqdh

Translation: "(Going up?) to Ahiqam, son of m-m Amadyahu son of Zakkur, from Moladah Hoshacyahu, son of Nawy, from rn/ptn. Machi, son of Hisilyahu, from Makkedah"
Edomite Ostracon Transcription: `mr.lmk.'mr.lblbl.
hslm.'t.whbrkt
lqws.wct.tn.'t.h'kl
'sr.cmd.'h'mh[]whrmc[z]'l.clmz'[bh(?)...]
[]hmr.h'kl

Translation: "(Thus) said Lumalak (or {E}limelek): Say to Blbl! Are you well? I bless you by Qaus. And now give the food (grain) that Ahi'ma/o And may U[z]iel lift [it] upon (the altar?)... [lest] the food become leavened(?)" [Horvat Uza in BA, Sep 1991, p. 134]
There exists also a cylindrical seal bearing the name `Shlomo' (Hebrew for `Solomon') whose origin is unknown. If it dates to the time of Solomon or even some time after, the interesting feature we like to point out is the Egyptian vulture over the standing figure an on the other side inscibed with the name, a vulture with down bent wings as if in flight. These are typical Egyptian representations. Apparently someone way back in time knew something about Solomon's connections with Egyp?
For images of seals in the Palestine Archaeological Museum see W. Culican, `The Iconography of some Phoenician Seals and Seal Impressions' in the Australian Journal of Biblical Archaeology' (AJBA), Vol. 1, 1968, p. 50-107; Featuring a dark blue conoid, Samaria PM#767; carnelian Tell Abu Hawam, PM#757; dark green jasper 'Atlit, PM#758; green jasper 'Atlit, PM#760; carnelian PM#629; blue paste in swivel mount (no #); clay bulla, Samaria PM#32, 2282; plus more with various designs.
The royal seal of Muses-Ninurta from Tarbasu filed away in the British-Museum (BM# 89135), Courtesy BM.In his excavation at Sherif Khan, Assyrian Tarbasu, Layard discovered this well-preserved cylinder seal whose 3 line inscription names its owner as "Muses-Ninurta" (or as read by Tallqvist and others, `Musezib-Ninurta'), son of Ninurta-eres, grandson of Samanuha-sar-ilani, and designates all three as "priest-princes". In a well planned rendition, a pomegranate tree stands in the center beneath the man in the winged sun, and on each side a king in a pose of adoration; each holds a band emanating from the sun and ending in an omega-shaped hand. Behind the king stands an eagle-man with an eagle-head and wings, protecting the ruler. While this cylinder seal is not expressly identified by Layard himself as being from the finds at Tarasu (Ninive und Babylon, p. 603), Hommel (Geschichte, 1885, pp. 557-8) does make that identification. [Seal of chalcedony, H. 5.08 cm, diameter 2.54 cm, Mansell, Phot. 595, Br. Mus. No. 89135. See further Unger in Ebert, RLV XI, 181.; in Eckhard Unger's, Two Seals of the 9th Century BC From Shadikanni on the Habur in BASOR, No. 130, April 1953, p. 16.]
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