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Biblical Archaeology Review is published in the USA and is a one-of-a-kind archaeology magazine that acts as a bridge between the academic study of archaeology and a broad general audience eager to understand the world of the Bible better. Covering both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament since its beginning in 1975, BAR is the leading nonsectarian forum for the discussion of Biblical archaeology. Articles by top scholars are written for the layperson, and archaeological news, trivia and games ensure that even the most serious scholars enjoy reading the latest issue of BAR.

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A number of seals (bullae) have been found by the archaeologist Dr Eilat Mazar during the excavations at King David’s Palace in Jerusalem. These were inscribed in ancient Hebrew and the first of the seals found bears the name of a government official named Jehucal, son of Shelemiah, who is referred to on two occasions in the Book of Jeremiah.  The second seal discovered  bears the name of another government official by the name of Gedaliah, son of Pashhur, who is also mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. (See Jeremiah 38:1).

These seals indirectly confirm the historical existence of the prophet Jeremiah, the author of the biblical books of Jeremiah and Lamentations, who lived in the late 7th and early 6th century B.C.E.  Jeremiah began his ministry around 625 B.C.E. and remained in Jerusalem until the city was captured by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. during the reign of King Zedekiah.

 

See additional information on our Research page under the heading of "Excavations at King David’s Palace, Jerusalem."

The Star of Bethlehem

 

For further information and details, see report extract on our Research Projects page .

 

 

 

A royal seal of King Hezekiah has been found during archaeological excavations in Jerusalem. The stamped clay seal, also known as a bulla*, was discovered during the excavations led by Dr. Eilat Mazar in the Ophel, the area between the City of David and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Said Dr Eilat Mazar in a recent  press release: “This is the first time that a seal impression of an Israelite or Judean king has ever come to light in a scientific archaeological excavation”

The small bulla, contains an ancient Hebrew inscription that reads “Belonging to Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, King of Judah.” Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz the 13th King of Judah who reigned from approximately 715-686 B.C. The bulla was discovered along with over 30 other bullae during the excavations led by Dr Eilat Mazar. In ancient biblical times these bullae were normally used to tie the strings around rolled documents, hence confirming their authenticity.

Hezekiah was born in c. 741 BC and assumed the throne of Judah at the age of 25. He promoted and enforced religious reforms, introduced a strict mandate for the sole worship of Yahweh, and went to great lengths to abolish idolatry from his kingdom.  According to the Bible, Hezekiah witnessed the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in c. 720 BC and was king of Judah during the invasion and subsequent siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian King Sennacherib in 701 BC. The main account of Hezekiah’s reign can be found in the bible in 2 Kings 18-20, Isaiah 36-39, and in 2 Chronicles 29-32. He is also one of the kings of Judah mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

In advance of Sennacherib’s impending invasion of Judah in 701 BC, Hezekiah fortified the walls of Jerusalem and arranged for the construction of a tunnel (known today as Hezekiah’s Tunnel) to secure the water supply to the city in the event of a siege. His attempts to save Jerusalem are chronicled in the bible and in other Assyrian historical accounts (See 2 Chronicles 32: 2-4 and 2 Kings 20:20 regarding his fortifications of Jerusalem).  Sennacherib failed to conquer Jerusalem before his death (2 Kings 19: 35-37). King Hezekiah died from natural causes at the age of 54 in c. 687 B.C. and was succeeded by his son Menasseh (2 Kings 20:21).

 

* Found in excavations between 2009 and 2013 and confirmed in December 2015.

  

   Royal Seal of King Hezekiah Found!

RECENT FIND CONFIRMS THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH!