Royal Seal Unearthed in City of David

August 2, 2005

(IsraelNN.com) A royal seal dating to the period of the First Temple has been found in an archeological dig in the City of David, adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem. The seal’s inscription has the name of Jehudi, son of Shelemiah, one of the top officials in the court of the last Judean king prior to the destruction of the First Temple, King Zedekiah. He is mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. The seal dates from about 580 B.C.E.

The seal was found at the site which the is the site of the palace of the Judean kings, according to archaeologists under the supervision of Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University. Several years ago, another circa-580 B.C.E. royal seal was found in the same site. It had the name of Gemaryahu, son of Shafan, who is also mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah, and was a top official in the court of King Zedekiah's predecessor, King Yehoyachim.

These findings support the description in the Bible of the importance of Jerusalem in Jewish history. 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 repeated by Jews throughout the generations who pray for "Next year in Jerusalem."

SOURCE: Arutz Sheva