Royal Seal Supports Biblical Depiction of Jerusalem

A royal seal dating to biblical times has been unearthed in the City of David by Israeli archaeologists, and the artifact's inscription supports Old Testament depictions of ancient Jerusalem.

According to an Israeli daily newspaper, Maariv, the seal bears the name of one of the top officials in the court of the last Judean ruler prior to the destruction of the First Temple, King Zedekiah, and was created in about 580 before the common era. It was found at a dig currently carried out in semi-secrecy by Israeli archaeologists in an area known as City of David in Jerusalem.

Researchers under the supervision of an Israeli archaeologist, Eilat Mazar, believe that the current dig is conducted at the site where the palace of the Judean kings once stood. As described in the Bible, the First Temple was the center of Judean political and religious life, and is at the center of Jewish claims to historical links to Jerusalem, as articulated by generations of Jews who pray for "next year in Jerusalem."

A succession of Judean kings ruled the area until 586 B.C.E., when the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple, which stood on what Jews now call the Temple Mount. The spot is also revered by Muslims, who believe that Mohammed ascended to heaven from the site where two mosques now stand.

The name of the court official as it appears on the newly discovered seal - Jehudi, son of Shelemiah - is cited in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah.

Several years ago, another circa-580 B.C.E. royal seal was found in the same region. It bore the name of Gemaryahu, son of Shaphan, who is also mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah, and was a top official in the court of King Zedekiah's predecessor, King Yehoyachim. The existence of two seals from the same era lends historical credibility to the biblical descriptions, and according to Maariv, has encouraged the archaeologists to keep digging.

The existence of ancient Jewish links to Jerusalem has been denied by some Arabs, including Yasser Arafat. Archeological digs in Jerusalem, and specifically around the Temple Mount, known to Arabs as Haram a Sharif, have been contentious in the recent past. Because of political sensitivities and a lack of funding, archeological digs have slowed in recent years. The recent discovery might revive scientific interest, and perhaps stir old passions as well.