Summary: Dozens of clay seals dating back 2,600 years, during the First Temple period, have been found near the Temple Mount, some inscribed with Biblical names.
Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. – Genesis 41:42 (ESV)
Clay Seals for Special Security
Dozens of inscribed clay seals were recovered during excavations near the Temple Mount. Zachi Dvira and Dr. Gabriel Barkay of the Temple Mount Sifting Project (TMSP) analyzed the clay seals, known as bulla, and will be releasing their study in an upcoming edition of the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology.
These pieces of unfired clay were used in storehouses during the First Temple period 2,600 years ago, say archeologists. To secure storerooms, doors and storage vessel openings, a lump of clay was pressed over the knot of the cord that tied them shut. The administrator of the treasury would then impress his seal upon the clay to prevent tampering by unauthorized persons because to open the seal it would need to be broken. This is similar to wax seals on letters, an ancient way to make sure no one read your mail.
In the Old Testament, Pharaoh gave his own signet ring to Joseph, giving him the important position of being the one in charge of the treasury.
So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” – Genesis 41:38-44 (NIV)
What Can These Seals Tell Us?
“Scholars usually don’t consider the back of the seals, but by doing it, a lot can be learned, especially about the type of objects they were attached to,” said Dvira. About a quarter of the seals’ reverse sides had impressions of woven fabrics, suggesting that they were used to seal small bags. Seals with flat backs most likely covered woven cloth that was used to store agricultural produce such as wine, oil, grain and honey.
“Evidence has been found that the remains of the broken sealings were saved in order to document the number of times that the storage area was opened,” the TMSA researchers wrote. “Thus, this method of securing commodities also served as a system of ‘bookkeeping.’ In addition, by examining the names of the officials appearing on this type of sealings, it is possible to ascertain the names of the chief administrator of the treasury as well as to establish the fact that those who assisted him were generally members of his family.”
Family Name of Immer Matches Biblical Priests
One notable clay seal recovered from the Temple Mount soil bares an inscription reading הִצִלְיָהוּ בן אִמֵר (Hiṣilyahu son of Immer) written in the Hebrew script used toward the end of the First Temple period. Immer is the name of a priestly family which served in the Temple during the time of the prophet Jeremiah in the 7th or early 6th century BC.
In Jeremiah 20, we read about a prominent priestly figure by the name of Pashhur son of Immer who is condemned by Jeremiah for prophesying lies.
When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the official in charge of the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the Lord’s temple. The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name for you is not Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side. For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. I will deliver all the wealth of this city into the hands of their enemies—all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.’” – Jeremiah 20:1-6 (ESV)
“Hisilyahu could have been his [Pashur’s] brother,” said Dvira, noting that at that time “paqid” and “nagid,” the titles used in Jeremiah to describe Pashhur, referred to Priests and Levites who were assigned over the treasuries. It was common for the treasury operations to be shared by several family members.
More Clay Seals Found Nearby at Ophel Park
Near the Temple Mount’s southern wall, evidence for the existence of a Royal Treasury was found. King Solomon ruled during the 10th century from a fortified section within Jerusalem called Ophel Park. Clay seals were excavated here along with a large number of storage jars. The inscriptions on many of these seals have the name “Bes,” the name of the family who served in administration of the treasury. Interestingly, the name “Bes” has Egyptian origins along with the name “Pashhur.”
“It appears that one of the reasons for this phenomenon is that the Kingdom of Judah adopted accounting, measuring and administrative systems originating in Egypt,” the TMSP researchers concluded. “It is therefore plausible that officials educated in Egypt were employed in the treasuries and they were influenced by its culture – or perhaps Egyptian-born officials took part in the administration of the Kingdom of Judah.”
“The assemblage of sealings revealed in the Temple Mount soil and in the Ophel Garden constitute concrete evidence for the existence of two central Treasuries in Jerusalem, which managed the economy of the Kingdom of Judah,” the researchers explained. “Since, at present, it is not possible to conduct orderly archeological excavations on the Temple Mount, this inscription remains the only epigraphic evidence originating from the Temple Mount enclosure which casts light on the economic-administrative activity that took place in this governmental, religious and administrative center of Judah during the First Temple period.”
King Hezekiah of Judah
A famous Bible name found on a seal in the area read “Hezekiah King of Judah.” We can find Hezehiah’s story in 2 Kings 18. He was a king “who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 3), a rare thing in those days. Hezekiah was king over Judah in the times of the prophet Isaiah. Assyria was positioned to attack Judah and Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. His prayer is recorded in 2 Kings 19:14-19.
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers [from Assyria] and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.” – 2 Kings 19:14-19 (ESV)
After this prayer, Isaiah assured Hezekiah that God had heard his plea and God would defend Judah.
And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. – 2 Kings 19:35-36 (ESV)
Temple Mount Sifting Project (TMSP)
These clay seals were found by the Temple Mount Sifting Project which began in 1999. The goal was to save as many ancient artifacts as possible from debris disposed of by the Islamic Movement, also known as Waqf. After they performed renovations on the Temple Mount, ignoring the Israeli Antiquities law that requires salvage excavation before construction at archeological sites, they dumped over 9,000 tons of soil mixed with innumerable artifacts in the nearby Kidron Valley. Anxious to save these valuable artifacts and genuine treasures, archeologists Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira retrieved the soil from the dump and transferred it to a specialized sifting facility at Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. Sifting began in 2004 and is still going on today.
Even though Jerusalem is the most excavated city in the world, there has been no systematic archeological excavations done on the Temple Mount. During the past 17 years, over 200,000 volunteers have joined in the effort to help rescue artifacts for research from the disposed Temple Mount soil.
Video Tour of the Temple Mount. (2017, Temple Mount Sifting Project)
People from all facets of society understand the significance of these artifacts and don’t want to lose a valuable glimpse of Jerusalem’s rich history. The large number of participants, both Israelis and foreigners, have made this tedious task possible. As of today half of the rescued dirt has been sifted and almost 500,000 artifacts have been uncovered, waiting to be studied and eventually published in archeology reports.
For your servants hold her stones dear, and have pity on her dust. – Psalms 102:14-15 (ESV)
Other exciting finds from the Sifting Project have been an Egyptian amulet, a bronze arrowhead, black glazed pottery from Attica, Greece and so much more. Every month the TMSP website highlights a special object found. If interested, check out their website link above.
Conclusion
There is so much left to discover from the buried secrets of the Temple. As the years go by we will learn more about these precious artifacts that are being uncovered at this very moment. The more archeology is conducted, the more exciting connections to the Bible are revealed, adding to the ever growing tangible evidence showing that the Bible is an accurate historical document. It’s enough to encourage us to Keep Thinking!
TOP PHOTO: The clay stamp of Hisilyahu son of Immer, who served as an official managing the so-called Temple Treasuries. (credit: Tzachi Dvira/Temple Mount Soil Sifting Project)
