Seal impression of King Hezekiah discovered near Temple Mount

Timna

Well-Known Member
Seal impression of King Hezekiah discovered near Temple Mount

Major archaelogcial discovery as first-ever seal impression of an Israelite or Judean king found in location of a scientific archaelogical excavation.

A seal impression of King Hezekiah (698-727 BCE) was discovered at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount, the first time a seal of an Israelite or Judean king was ever exposed in situ in a scientific archaeological excavation.

The discovery was made at the Ophel excavations at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount being conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology under the direction of Dr. Eilat Mazar.

Measuring 9.7 X 8.6 mm, the oval impression was imprinted on a 3 mm thick soft bulla (piece of inscribed clay) measuring 13 X 12 mm. Around the impression is the depression left by the frame of the ring in which the seal was set.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4734069,00.html
 

mikhen7

Freed By Christ to Serve Christ
Also read this amazing discovery here:

King Hezekiah in the Bible: Royal Seal of Hezekiah Comes to Light

Hezekiah in the Bible and on the ground


hezekiah-bulla-260x265.jpg

HEZEKIAH IN THE BIBLE. The royal seal of Hezekiah,

king of Judah, was discovered in the Ophel excavations
under the direction of archaeologist Eilat Mazar.
Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Eilat Mazar; photo by Ouria Tadmor.


For the first time, the royal seal of King Hezekiah in the Bible has been found in an archaeological excavation. The stamped clay seal, also known as a bulla, was discovered in the Ophel excavations led by Dr. Eilat Mazar at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The discovery was announced in a recent press release by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology, under whose auspices the excavations were conducted.

The bulla, which measures just over a centimeter in diameter, bears a seal impression depicting a two-winged sun disk flanked by ankh symbols and containing a Hebrew inscription that reads “Belonging to Hezekiah, (son of) Ahaz, king of Judah.” The bulla was discovered along with 33 other stamped bullae during wet-sifting of dirt from a refuse dump located next to a 10th-century B.C.E. royal building in the Ophel.
 

mikhen7

Freed By Christ to Serve Christ
Here is Erix Metaxas's (Author of Bonhoeffer) take:


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Archaeology and Biblical History
By: Eric Metaxas|Published: December 4, 2015 6:00 AM

An amazing find in Israel has set the archaeological world on its ear. And once again we see the veracity of biblical history.

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Five years ago, a team of archaeologists digging “at the foot of the southern part of the wall that surrounds Jerusalem’s Old City” came across a refuse dump dating to the eighth century before Christ.

As the New York Times told its readers, it’s “an area rich in relics from the period of the first of two ancient Jewish temples.” Among their findings were thirty-three clay imprints or seals, known as bullae. These seals were catalogued and stored.

It wasn’t until recently that these bullae were examined more closely, and what the closer examination revealed is rocking the archaeological world. One of the bullae bore the inscription “Belonging to Hezekiah (son of) Ahaz king of Judah.”

That would be the Hezekiah of which the Bible says, “He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses” (2 Kings 18:5-6).

As Eliat Mazar of Hebrew University told the Times, “It’s always a question, what are the real facts behind the biblical stories . . . Here we have a chance to get as close as possible to the person himself, to the king himself.”

You’ll pardon me for saying, but how cool is that?!

Now, if you’re a regular BreakPoint listener, you know that this is only the most recent in a series of archaeological finds that are confirming the historical nature and veracity of the biblical narratives. A few years ago, I told you about the discovery of Shaarayim, one of the two cities of David mentioned in First Chronicles, as well as the remains of one of David’s palaces and royal storehouses.

I also told you about the discovery of a coin, dating from the 11th century before Christ, which depicted “a man with long hair fighting a large animal with a feline tail.” As if that didn’t ring your biblical bell enough, the coin was discovered “near the Sorek River, which was the border between the ancient Israelite and Philistine territories 3,100 years ago.”

Of course, the coin depicted Samson.

You’ve got to remember that it was not that long ago that many historians and scholars were convinced that the biblical narratives that described the time before the Babylonian exile were largely the creation of pious scribes whose goal was to justify their contemporary concerns by creating a usable past. In fact, it was widely doubted that people like David and Solomon ever even existed, and if they did, they were little more than glorified tribal chieftains.

Then in 1993, a stone slab or stele dating from the 9th century B.C. referring to the “House of David” was found in northern Israel. More recently, archaeologists have discovered ancient copper mines south of Jerusalem that dated from the time of Solomon. The mines included “an impressive collection of clothing, fabrics, and ropes made using advanced weaving technology; foods, like dates, grapes, and pistachios; ceramics; and various types of metallurgical installations.”

So much for myths and glorified tribal chieftains!

Now the evidence left by their descendants is coming to light. And that shouldn’t come as a surprise. As John Stonestreet has said, “Biblical faith is an historical faith. The accounts in the scripture do not take place in some mythical time-before-time like that of their pagan neighbors or the Bhagavad Gita in Hinduism.”

Thus, we should not be surprised when evidence of this history turns up, even in a refuse dump.

http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcomment...mail&utm_term=0_84bd2dc76d-8f438e6a6b-6649701
 

Timna

Well-Known Member
wonderful! I feel a little tempted to rub the faces of those seminary and bible college profs who keep attacking the Bible in a find like this. just a little!!!! I won't be rude, but this goes into my little collection of facts to deal with Bible naysayers.
It isn't only the seminary and college profs who attack the Biblical record, it is also some archaeologists in the field and that is worse, I would say, because they are the ones who are making discoveries that corroborate the Biblical record, and yet, some of them merely treat discoveries as "just a find," with no significance., or they mis-date a discovery so that it doesn't coincide with the B.R. Israel Finklestein is probably the worst for this.
 

ReadyforSupper

Well-Known Member
How exciting.

I'm quite fascinated by Biblical archeology and history, particurly during the period when many kings ruled Israel and Judea. I admit I have doubted the Bible before, much to my shame, but stuff like this proves God and the Bible are trust worthy. :amen
The books of Kings and Chronicles are two of my favorite books. I love to read of the struggle they had within themselves and can't help but wonder who we'll meet...and who we won't.

This is just awesome!
 

WKUHilltopper

Well-Known Member
Reminds me of reading about the late 1800s and 1900s when the growing atheist "educated" class movement was claiming the Bible was nothing more than stories. And claimed their proof was there was no evidence or significant archeologically found to prove the Hittites (since this was a major culture/civilization) ever existed...that is, until they found a huge Hittites "library" in the early 1900s.
 
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