Unique 2,700-year old seal with King Hezekiah’s name found near Temple Mount
A 6th BCE centur seal (bulla), half an inch long, just found in excavations near Temple Mount in Jerusalem, bears the name of Hezekiah – none other than the biblical era king who reigned from 727 to 698 BCE. "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," stated the leader of the dig, Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The oval impression on the clay seal, which was most likely set in a ring, states in ancient Hebrew script: "Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah." It also shows Assyrian symbols, indicating that it was created late in the king’s life when he fell under Assyrian influence. Hezekiah’s celebrated engineering feat, a water channel linking the Silwan springs to the city of Jerusalem in case of siege, is still in place today.
