Archaeologists discover 2,700-year-old seal in Jerusalem helping affirm city’s biblical heritage

September 2, 2024

Archeologists have discovered a stone seal in Israel, possibly dating back the First Temple period, that could shed light on the Biblical heritage of the region.

The Christian Post reports that the seal, depicting a winged figure with one arm raised forward with an open palm, was found during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David Foundation.

According to a report released by the Israel Antiquities Authority, an inscription which reads “LeYehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu,” is found on either side of the figure.

It is believed that the seal is more than 2,700 years old and the design could date back to the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

Yuval Baruch is an excavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority. He said, “The figure of a winged man in a distinct Neo-Assyrian style is unique and very rare in the glyphic styles of the late First Temple period. The influence of the Assyrian Empire, which had conquered the entire region, is clearly evident here.”

According to the Christian Post, the director of International Affairs for the City of David Foundation, Ze’ev Orenstein told Fox News that the seal “joins the list of countless archeological discoveries in the City of David — the historic site of Biblical Jerusalem — affirming Jerusalem’s Biblical heritage.”

“It similarly serves as yet another affirmation of the thousands-of-year-old bond rooting the Jewish people in Jerusalem — not simply as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact.” 

Photo: top, Credit: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority