07-08-2025
Archeologists' 2,600-year-old find likely belonged to biblical figure
Hiyah Zaidi Published August 6, 2025 10:42am Updated August 6, 2025 10:42am Link is copied Comments A 2,600-year-old clay seal has been uncovered in Jerusalem - and it could have belonged to biblical figure. Clay seals were used as a form of identification, way before the likes of driving licenses and biometric measures. By having a personalised seal, people were able to show ownership of items such as wine and oil, and they also acted as an theft deterrent. Clay seals are a great way of dating historic finds and this one, marked with a Hebrew name, has sparked intrigue (Picture: Temple Mount Sifting Project) An ongoing excavation by the Temple Mount Sifting Project (TMSP) in Jerusalem revealed the clay seal. Markings on its back showed that it was used as a closure on a bag or storage vessel. And experts say that the style of writing on the clay dates the seal back to the First Temple period – spanning from late-7th century BC to the early-6th century BC. But the most exciting thing to come from the seal was a little fingerprint, likely from the owner (Picture: Temple Mount Sifting Project) Researchers on the study, Anat Mendel-Geberovich and Zachi Dvira, have fully deciphered the name stamped on the artefact. It reads: 'Belonging to Yed[a‛]yah (son of) Asayahu'. The name, Asayahu, appears in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Tanakh, during the story of King Josiah of Judah. In the tale, King Josiah ordered repairs be made to the temple 2,600 years ago – and during the repairs, his workers found an ancient scroll which warned of a punishment from God (Picture: Getty) Concerned, the King sent trusted consuls to search for counsel from Huldah, a prophetess. One of these trusted consuls was Asayahu – who was also known as 'the king's servant'. Since Asayahu had a high position, it's thought his son would have too, serving a prominent role around the same time. The fate of Yeda‛yah is unknown. But did the seal actually belong to Yeda‛yah? The TMSP researchers say that it is highly likely (Picture: Temple Mount Sifting Project) Speaking to The Times of Israel, Dvira said: 'Obviously, we are not sure that the Asayahu mentioned on the sealing is the same that appears in the Bible. However, several such artifacts found in the area of the Temple Mount carry biblical names, and it does make sense, because these were not objects used by common people. Because of their small size, clay sealings are difficult to identify. In the past, most of the [seals] came from the antiquity market, but as we developed new techniques to sift through massive amounts of dirt, more excavations have started to either employ our sifting services or carry out their own sifting. Now, there are maybe 10 or 20 times more known [seals] found during controlled archaeological work than in the past' (Picture: Getty) The researchers say that historically seals like these were reserved for officials of high rank. The authors added: 'Many individuals named in similar discoveries from Jerusalem have been directly identified with biblical-era officials. The artifact's discovery on the Temple Mount further supports the likelihood of this connection. Thus, the clay sealing's owner was probably involved in Temple administration or in the royal household, much like his father' (Picture: Getty) A few decades after the event of the finding of the Torah scroll, Jerusalem's walls were breached by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Then, just weeks later, the Temple was destroyed, countless Jerusalemites were killed, and many survivors, including senior officials, were exiled to Babylon (Picture: Getty)
