Two rare seals bearing Hebrew inscriptions and dating to the time of King Solomon’s temple have been uncovered at the City of David, in Jerusalem Walls National Park. According to the announcement by the Israeli Antiquities Authority, what makes one of these seals even more unique is the identity of its owner. “Finding seals that bear names from the time of the First Temple is hardly a commonplace occurrence, and finding a seal that belonged to a woman is an even rarer phenomenon,” excavation directors Doron Ben-Ami, Yana Tchekhanovets and Salome Cohen said in the statement.
SHE CONSIDERS A FIELD AND BUYS IT; WITH THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS SHE PLANTS A VINEYARD.
– Proverbs 31:16 (ESV)
One of the 2,600-year-old seals uncovered belonged to a woman named Elihana. It is made of semi-precious stone, and in ancient Hebrew letters bears the inscription “to Elihana bat Gael” (“bat” means “daughter of” in Hebrew).
Inscriptions this old belonging to Jewish women are considered to be very rare finds. According to Dr. Hagai Misgav of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, “Seals that belonged to women represent just a very small portion of all the seals that have been discovered to date. This is because of the generally inferior economic status of women, apart from extraordinary instances such as this. Indeed, the name Elihana does not appear in the Bible, and there is no other information regarding the identity of the woman, but the fact that she possessed a seal demonstrates her high social status. The owner of the seal was exceptional compared to other women of the First Temple period: she had legal status which allowed her to conduct business and possess property.”
“It seems that Elihana maintained her right to property and financial independence, even after her marriage, and therefore her father’s name was retained. However, we do not have sufficient information about the law in Judah during this period.” Said Misgav. “This might indicate the relatively elevated status of Elihana, which depended on her original family, and not on her husband’s family,”
Although the name Elihana is not found in the Bible, an Ammonite seal with the similar name of Eliya has been found dating to the same period. Eliya is the female form of the biblical name “Eli.” The position of Elihana recalls the description of the excellent wife from Proverbs 31:10-23 who provides for her family and has great financial responsibilities.
SHE CONSIDERS A FIELD AND BUYS IT; WITH THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS SHE PLANTS A VINEYARD.
– Proverbs 31:16 (ESV)
1. SHE IS LIKE THE SHIPS OF THE MERCHANT;
2. SHE BRINGS HER FOOD FROM AFAR.
3. SHE CONSIDERS A FIELD AND BUYS IT;
4. WITH THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS SHE PLANTS A VINEYARD.
5. SHE DRESSES HERSELF WITH STRENGTH
6. AND MAKES HER ARMS STRONG.
7. HER HUSBAND IS KNOWN IN THE GATES
8. WHEN HE SITS AMONG THE ELDERS OF THE LAND.
9. SHE MAKES LINEN GARMENTS AND SELLS THEM;
10. SHE DELIVERS SASHES TO THE MERCHANT.
11. GIVE HER OF THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS,
12. AND LET HER WORKS PRAISE HER IN THE GATES.
– Proverbs 31:16 (ESV)
The dig yielded a second rare seal, belonging to a man named “Sa’aryahu ben Shabenyahu” (“ben” means “son of”) according to researchers at the site. They pointed out that the name Sa‘aryahu means “the Lord, which was revealed in a storm,” a reference to Job 38:1.
The two seals were found in the Giv’ati parking lot area of the site within the remains of a large building of magnificent cut-stone masonry from the First Temple period that may have been an administrative center for Judah operating near the end of that kingdom’s existence. It has taken nine years of excavating by the IAI, in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority and the City of David Foundation, to reach the strata of ancient Jerusalem dating to the First Temple period. This is the same site where the Hezekiah seal was discovered in 2015.
“Personal seals, such as those of Elihana and Sa’aryahu, were used for signing documents, and were frequently inlaid as part of a ring that was worn by the owner,” says the head of the excavation, Dr. Doron Ben-Ami of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Signet rings were a symbol of authority for rulers and officials. “In antiquity, they designated the identity, genealogy and status of the owner of the seal.”
Excavators are eagerly anticipating new finds that will inform and challenge our understanding of ancient Jerusalem.
For More Information On These Finds From The City Of David…
TOP PHOTO: Finds from Jerusalem Walls National Park. (credit: Israel Antiquities Authority)
