Jerusalem Governors’ Seals
Another amazing archaeological discovery has been made in Israel with the discovery of ancient Jerusalem Governors’ seals. These seals are tremendously important because they help to confirm the historicity of the Bible.
There have been many similar discoveries made in recent years, everything from seals belonging to Isaiah, jailors of Jeremiah, the Pontius Pilate ring, and a clay impression made for Jezebel.
The newest addition to this list was found in excavations in the Western Wall area of Jerusalem. It is amazing that such discoveries are still being made in such a highly trafficked area but has apparently been overlooked until now.
The Governor’s Seal
Ancient documents were formalized by an impression made by a seal belonging to an important person. Such seals were held by kings and queens, administrators – and now discovered to belong to governors.
The newest addition to the collection is a minuscule seal inscribed with ancient Hebrew script saying, “Belonging to the governor of the city.”
According to the site excavator Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah,
This is the first time that such an impression was found in an authorize excavation. It supports the biblical rendering of the existence of a governor of the city in Jerusalem 2,700 years ago.
This also shows that Jerusalem was a strong and central city that also supports the Biblical narrative.
The Seal Discovery
The minuscule clay seal was found while researchers were examining the dust from a First Temple structure 100 meters northwest of the Western Wall. These excavations have also provided insight into the Second Temple and Roman periods.
The seal was studied by the Hebrew University Professor Tallay Ornan and Tel Aviv University Professor Benjamin Sass, and is thought to sho
Two standing men, facing each other in a mirror-like manner. Their heads are depicted as large dots, lacking any details. The hands facing outward are dropped down, and the hands facing inward are raised. Each of the figures is wearing a striped, knee-length garment.
Mentioned in Scripture
The governor is thought to have functioned in much the same way as a modern mayor. The title is mentioned in 2 Kings where Joshua is listed as the governor of the city in the days of Hezekiah, and in 2 Chronicles, Maaseiah is noted as the governor of the city in the days of Josiah.
Weksler-Bdolah noted,
The Bible mentions two governors of Jerusalem, and this finding thus reveals that such a position was actually held by someone in the city some 2700 years ago.
Importance of Location
The archaeological site where the seal was found is also thought to have had great importance. Archaeologists not,
the finding of the impression with this high-rank title, in addition to the large assemblage of actual seals found in the building in the past, supports the assumption that this area, located on the western slopes of the western hill of ancient Jerusalem, some 100 meters west of the Temple Mount, was inhabited by highly ranked officials during the First Temple period.
Summary
The Governor’s Seal is another historical archaeological artifact discovered in Jerusalem which confirms the historicity of Scripture. There can be no doubt that Scripture is being confirmed through archaeology.
This new finding confirms the Scriptural statement that governors ruled over Jerusalem.
The Bible is full of detail that on the surface does not seem to add to the narrative. However, this detail offers an opportunity for archaeological confirmation of the larger story. If archaeology can confirm the little details, then the larger narrative becomes more tenable.
Differentiation between a fictional story and one that portrays actual historical events often revolves around confirmation of the details. Historical events are coming into sharper focus with each new historical artifact uncovered in Israel helping to confirm the historicity of Scripture.
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