Summary: An inscribed clay seal uncovered near the Western Wall supports the Biblical record of Jerusalem having a governor during the First Temple period.
And there was one governor who was over the land. – 1 Kings 4:19b (ESV)
Seal Presented to the Mayor
A unique discovery was made during archaeological excavations carried out in the Western Wall Plaza, Jerusalem, a few years ago, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and in conjunction with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. The important find was a First Temple period clay seal, stamped with the phrase “[belonging] to the governor of the city.” This adds to the growing number of recent finds supporting the Bible’s account of Jerusalem being the center of a robust kingdom in the First Temple period from the days of kings David and Solomon down to the Babylonian captivity.
The tiny but extraordinary find measures just a little over half an inch in diameter and .12 inches in thickness. The upper portion of the seal depicts two figures facing each other and below that is the ancient Hebrew inscription.
It is a mystery as to what exactly the seal was used for, but most likely, it was attached to an important letter or document. The position of governor was the most prominent municipal position in Jerusalem, 2,700 years ago.
The Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat was presented the “governor” seal during his visit to the Davidson’s Center, near the Western Wall, in February. “It is very overwhelming to receive greetings from First Temple period Jerusalem. This shows that already 2,700 years ago, Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was a strong and central city,” said Barkat at the presentation.
Archaeological Site of the Western Wall Plaza
Authorities have been excavating the Western Wall Plaza site since 2005 and their discoveries have offered up new insights into Jerusalem’s ancient history. The “governor” seal was unearthed by Shimon Cohen, in the northwestern part of the area, while wet-sifting the soil from a late First Temple period building (7th–6th century BC).
“The seal was probably attached to an important missive and may have served as a sort of logo, or as a small dispatch sent on behalf of the governor of the city,” said IAA excavator Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah. “It is probable that one of the buildings exposed in our excavation was the destination of the missive sent by the city governor.”
The Administrative Center
Earlier excavation revealed a massive four-room building from the Iron Age. Inside, archaeologists found an eclectic collection of six other seals from Egypt to Assyria, suggesting a thriving cosmopolitan center or settlement.
The building was typical of Israelite structures with one large main room and three elongated rooms perpendicular to it. The one main room was divided with walls into three smaller rooms. Because of all the personal seals found within the building, researchers believe it was an administration center for high officials.
“This building was erected at the foot of the Upper City, at a distance of about one hundred meters from the Western Wall and it looked out over the Temple Mount, “ said Weksler-Bdolah. “The walls of the structure were preserved to an amazing height of approximately five meters. The high quality of its construction and the artifacts that were discovered inside it indicate that the building and especially its inhabitants had a very important status in Jerusalem at the end of the First Temple period.”
High-Ranking “Governor” Seal
The “governor” seal adds additional evidence, together with the large assemblage of other seals found in the building, which supports the assumption that this area was indeed inhabited by high-ranking officials, according to Weksler-Bdolah.
Prof. Tallay Ornan of the Hebrew University and Prof. Benjamin Sass of Tel Aviv University described the seal as follows: “Two men face each other, in a mirror-like manner, above a double line. Their heads are depicted as large dots, lacking details. The outward-facing hands are dropped down, and the inward-facing hands are raised. All the figures wear striped, knee-length garments. In the register beneath the double line, an ancient Hebrew inscription reads: לשרער, with no spacing between the words and no definite article. It denotes לשר העיר, i.e., “belonging to the governor of the city.”
“The title ‘governor of the city’ is known from the Bible and from extra-biblical documents, referring to an official appointed by the king,” the professors added. Governors of Jerusalem are mentioned twice in the Bible: Joshua is the governor of the city in 2 Kings, and Maaseiah is the governor in 2 Chronicles.
And [King Josiah] broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the gate of the city. – 2 Kings 23:8b
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. – 2 Chron. 34:8
“This is the first time that such a seal has been found in an authorized excavation, and it supports the Biblical record of the existence of a governor of the city in Jerusalem 2,700 years ago,” Weksler-Bdolah said.
The Assyrian Archer Seal
One of the other fascinating seals found at the site, this one within the administrative building, belonged to a Hebrew person by the name of Hagab. The black stone seal is engraved with an Assyrian image of a warrior shooting an arrow. The owner of the seal probably held a military position, possibly that of army commander of the Kingdom of Judah.
“The name Hagab is mentioned in the Bible in Ezra 2:46, as well as in the Lachish Letters, which also date to the time of the First Temple,” said Weksler-Bdolah. The seal is unique since it is the first private seal discovered bearing a Hebrew name but decorated in the Assyrian style, suggesting a strong Assyrian influence that existed in Jerusalem in the 7th century BC.
Plan to Conserve the Discoveries
Wanting to preserve and display the artifacts found in the Western Wall Plaza excavation site, a proposal was made to construct a museum and office building called the Western Wall Heritage Foundation’s Beit HaLiba. However, this controversial project was suspended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015 because of “security concerns.”
However, in light of the “outstanding significance” of the many recent finds at the excavation site, the decision was finalized to “conserve the First Temple period building exposed in the Western Wall Plaza excavations and open it to visitors,” according to Dr. Yuval Baruch, an archaeologist of the Jerusalem District in the IAA.
Conclusion
The archaeology of Jerusalem is “really much more amazing, impressive, and monumental than we ever expected!” said Weksler-Bdolah. The “governor” seal is a unique find that brings Jerusalem’s ancient past to life. “We’re thrilled to reveal this small but significant artifact that deepens our understanding of the city’s long and rich history.”
“Jerusalem is one of the most ancient capitals of the world, continually populated by the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years. Today we have the privilege to encounter another one of the long chain of persons and leaders that built and developed the city,” said Barkat. “We are grateful to be living in a city with such a magnificent past, and are obligated to ensure its strength for generations to come, as we daily do.”
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TOP PHOTO: Close up of seal bearing an inscription stating, ‘Belonging to the governor of the city.’ (credit: Clara Amit, IAA)
