New Seal Discovery in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Post reports that that excavations in Jerusalem have found another clay bulla inscribed with a Bible name.

 A seal impression belonging to a minister of the Biblical King Zedekiah which dates back 2,600 years has been uncovered completely intact during an archeological dig in Jerusalem’s ancient City of David, a prominent Israeli archeologist said on Thursday.  The seal impression, or bulla, with the name Gedalyahu ben Pashur, who served as minister to King Zedekiah (597-586 BCE) according to the Book of Jeremiah, was found just meters away from a separate seal impression of another of Zedekia’s ministers, Yehukual ben Shelemyahu, which was uncovered three years ago, said Prof. Eilat Mazar who is leading the dig at the site.

“On the one hand it is so unexpected to find such a fragile bulla in such harsh conditions of excavation, while on the other hand it was logical to find precisely here the bulla of Gedalyahu ben Pashur – only meters away from the place where we found the bulla of Yehukhal ben Shelemyahu – since these two ministers are mentioned side by side in the Bible as having served together in the kingdom of King Zedekiah,” Mazar said.

The first bulla was uncovered inside an impressive stone structure, which Mazar believes is the Palace of David, while the second bulla was found at the foot of the external wall of the same structure, under a tower that was built in the days of Nehemiah. Both of the bullae with the names of the two ministers, measuring 1 cm. in diameter each, were found among the debris of the destruction of the First Temple period. The letters are in ancient Hebrew and are very clearly preserved, Mazar said.

Both of these ministers (“Gedaliah ben Pashhur” and “Jucal ben Shelemiah”) are named in Jeremiah 38:1-6 as wanting to kill Jeremiah.  Not exactly the best avenue to lasting fame.

No photos yet, but I’ll post one when I find it.

Update: A couple of photos have been posted at The Trumpet.