Archaeologists have unearthed a remarkable clay seal impression bearing Hebrew inscriptions that may connect to a biblical figure from King Josiah’s court. The artifact, discovered through the Temple Mount Sifting Project, carries the name “Yeda’yah (son of) Asayahu” and dates to the late First Temple period. This rare find offers a potential tangible link between archaeological evidence and biblical narratives from one of ancient Israel’s most pivotal eras.
The seal impression, known as a bulla, represents only the second nearly complete inscribed seal recovered by the project in over two decades of meticulous work. Experts believe the artifact’s paleographic style and archaeological context place it firmly within the late seventh to early sixth century BCE, coinciding with the reign of King Josiah and the tumultuous period preceding the Babylonian exile.
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Archaeologist Mordechai Ehrlich holding the artifact. (Temple Mount Sifting Project)
