Posted on 12/09/2015 8:50:12 AM PST by SeekAndFind
* The oval piece of clay bears the symbol of a winged sun and hieroglyphs
* Archaeologists said it was the private seal of the biblical King Hezekiah
* During his rule, the Kingdom of Judah saw its power rise dramatically
* The seal has provided new clues about Hezekiah's life and politics
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A 2,700-year-old royal seal bearing the mark of the biblical King Hezekiah has been unearthed in Jerusalem.
The tiny oval piece of clay bears the impression of a sun with two wings turned downward, flanked by two ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that symbolise 'life'.
King Hezekiah's rule was responsible for the rise in power of the Kingdom of Judah and an inscription into the bulla reads 'Belonging to Hezekiah (son of) Ahaz king of Judah'.
It is thought to have originally sealed a document written on papyrus which had been rolled and tied with thin cords, the marks of which can still be seen on the back of the seal.
The seal, which is just a third of an inch across (1cm) and a tenth of an inch thick (0.3cm), is thought to be the first impression belonging to an Israelite or Judean king to be found during an archaeological excavation.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
WHO WAS KING HEZEKIAH?
Mentioned in the books of Kings, Isaiah and Chronicles in the Bible, King Hezekiah is regarded as one of the greatest kings of Judah.
He is thought to have ruled between 715BC and 686BC following the death of his father King Ahaz. According to the Hebrew Bible he was 25 when he assumed the throne.
Following the death of the Assyrian king Sargon II, Hezekiah took the opportunity to throw off the subservience of his kingdom to the Assyrians.
He ceased to pay the tribute imposed upon his father and instead allied himself with Egypt.
Sargon’s son Sennacherib embarked on a series of attempts to suppress this rebellion which culmulated in the siege of Jerusalem. According to the Bible, the siege was broken when a mysterious plague killed most of Sennacherib’s soldiers forcing him to abandon his attempt to conquer Jerusalem.
Hezekiah’s reign is thought to have brought about a notable increase in the power of Judah in the region and it became an important state on the frontier between Assyria and Egypt.
The Hebrew Bible also describes how Hezekiah made a miraculous recovery from a sickness after praying to God. He went on to live for another 15 years.
But But, Islam tells us the Jews never existed!!!
And yet Liberals still believe the Palistinians and Muslims were the first people in Jerusalem and the Jews are the ones who are taking it away from them.
Should a cross be on this?
RE: Should a cross be on this?
Hezekiah was king nearly 700 years before Christ.
I understand but, a sign of the cross on the seal seems odd.
You know more about this stuff than I and probably have an answer.
The cross symbol was used by the Greeks, before Christ.
Where do you see a cross? I see some text and an ankh. This seal seriously predates Christianity.
interesting.
did not know that.
You guys are one of the many reasons I luv FR
It’s an Ankh, the other symbol also looks like a winged scarab or sun. It may have been a seal used by the egyptians to send communication to King Hezekiah which is why it showed up in Israel. (my take)
I think its an ankh.
That is an Egyptian ankh, as the article says, "a symbol of life" sometimes adopted & adapted by Christians:
I worked with a liberal woman who thought the Romans who crucified Christ were Catholics.
ping!
Okay, that’s just stewpet....
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