Israeli Excavation Reveals 3,000-Year-Old Seal with Name from 1 Chronicles

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Israeli archaeologists have unearthed an approximately 3,000-year-old stone seal from the time of Solomon's temple that contains a winged figure and a name that is found in 1 Chronicles. The stone seal is considered an "extremely rare and unusual" find and dates to the First Temple period when the massive temple to God still stood prior to its destruction by the Babylonians. The seal was discovered "near the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, in the Davidson Archaeological Garden," during excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David organization, according to a news release.

It reads "LeYehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu," which translated to English means "For Yeho'ezer son of Hosh'ayahu." 

The Israel Antiquities Authority noted that "Yoʼezer," short for "Yeho'ezer," is referenced in 1 Chronicles 12:6 as one of David's warriors. (In most English translations, it's "Joezer.”) Yoʼezer and the other warriors "were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed," according to the text. It is also possible that the seal belonged to a different Yeho'ezer who lived at the same time or later.  

The seal would have been used as an amulet and for signing documents and contains a hole, allowing it to be fitted to a necklace. It was made of black stone and is about 2,700 years old, IAA said.  

"In its center, a figure is depicted in profile, possibly a king, with wings, wearing a long, striped shirt, and striding towards the right," IAA said. "The figure has a mane of long curls covering the nape of the neck, and on its head is a hat -- or a crown. The figure raises one arm forward, with an open palm, perhaps to suggest some object it is holding."

Yuval Baruch and Navot Rom, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a joint statement the seal is "one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem and is executed at the highest artistic level."

Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, Israel's Minister of Heritage, said the discovery "opens another window for us into the days of the Kingdom of Judah during the First Temple period" and "attests to that administration's international connections."

"It is impossible not to be moved by such an unmediated and direct encounter with a chapter of our past, a time in which the First Temple stood in all its glory," Eliyahu said.

Archaeologists hypothesize that the stone seal originally was owned by Hoshʼayahu and, upon his passing, was inherited by his son Yehoʼezer. The archaeologists described the winged creature as a winged "genie" or a "protective demon," possibly demonstrating the influence of Assyria on the owner. Assyria had conquered lands outside Israel. 

It is the first time that a winged genie/demon has been found in Israel. 

"Judah in general, and Jerusalem in particular at that time, was subject to the hegemony of the Assyrian Empire and was influenced by it -- a reality also reflected in cultural and artistic aspects," Baruch said. "That the seal's owner chose a demon to be the insignia of his personal seal may attest to his feeling that he belonged to the broader cultural context -- just like people today in Israel, who see themselves part of Western culture. Yet within that feeling, this Yehoʼezer also held firmly onto his local identity, and thus his name is written in Hebrew script, and his name is a Hebrew name, which belongs to Judah's culture."

Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in the eighth century B.C., followed by the Babylonians conquering the southern kingdom. 

Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Israel Antiquities Authority

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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