Excavations at the City of David site, just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, have yielded seal impressions that date back 2,600 years, when the city was besieged by the Babylonians, and at least two from ministers under King Zedekiah. Posted on 10/01/2008 4:52:13 PM PDT by BGHater
It is the most remarkable find since excavations in the heart of this 3,000-year-old capital of ancient Israel began 140 years ago: a tiny clay seal impression also known as a bulla or stamp, discovered near the ruins of what has been identified as King David's palace and bearing the name of an influential courtier mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
"It is not very often that archaeologists have surprises that bring them so close to the reality of the biblical text," said Eilat Mazar, whose pinpoint dig in a relatively small site this summer led her to a clay bulla whose ancient Hebrew script identifies its owner as Gedalyahu ben Pashhur.
Speaking to an enthusiastic audience of 1,500 Israelis who converged on the Palestinian-Arab Silwan quarter, known as Kfar Hashiloah, or Siloam in the Bible, Mrs. Mazar said, "One could not have asked anything more than this."
Ben Pashhur's name is cited in the Book of Jeremiah 38:1 together with that of Yehuchal ben Shelemayahu, whose bulla was discovered at the same site two years ago.
The two were ministers in the court of King Zedekiah, the last king from the Davidic dynasty to reign in Jerusalem. His reign, from 597 to 586 B.C., ended with the Babylonians' destruction of the First Temple on nearby Mount Moriah.
Excavations at the City of David site, just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, have yielded seal impressions that date back 2,600 years, when the city was besieged by the Babylonians, and at least two from ministers under King Zedekiah.
Archaeological workers collect rubble from the site that has been identified as King David's palace, the first of two clay bullae bearing the names of biblical figures was discovered.
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