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| "Belonging to Yeshayah[u] [ha] Nabi" |
In 2009 during an archeological dig on the Ophel at
Jerusalem, a seal impression of Isaiah the prophet (above, measuring just 1 cm across) was found in situ about
three meters away from one belonging to Hezekiah, king of Judah (below) by an archaeological team from the Hebrew University working with Eilat Mazar:
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| "Beloning to Hezqiyahu Melek Yehuda" |
Though found in 2009, news has only recently been released about the discoveries. These are amazing finds; and they add further extra-biblical corroboration to the existence of the growing number of 8th-6th
century BC figures whose existence has now been attested by way of similar finds.
A seal impression is also referred to as a “bulla” in the
singular or “bullae” in the plural. Occasionally an ancient seal (which made
such impressions in clay long ago) also turns up, such as this ring (below) belonging to Hanan, the grandson of Hilkiah (who is the priest who found the books of the law in the temple in the days of Josiah):
Seals like the one above were usually done in stone or semi-precious stone in mirror image in order to produce the correct impression on the clay sealing the ancient document.
Here are a couple of links for my earlier blog entries on the 1) prophecy of Isaiah 53 and on 2) the Dead Sea scrolls references to Messiah:
Links about the seal Impression of Isaiah and others:
