Ancient seal discovery in Ein Gedi ties to biblical history
Archaeologists from Israel have shared an amazing discovery. They announced that an ancient seal, estimated to be around 2,700 years old, was found in the area of Ein Gedi Park. This discovery supports a certain biblical account of the history of ancient Jerusalem.
A few days ago, Israeli archaeologists could not hide their enthusiasm. As it later turned out, the reason was a very valuable find made in the approximately 5,000-year-old Ein Gedi Park. It was in this park that King David is said to have taken refuge from Saul's troops.
Archaeologists claimed to have found the ancient seal there. This is a special discovery because, apart from the image of a winged man, it also has inscriptions that serve as evidence that the ability to read and write was more widespread during that period than previously assumed.
The seal, made of black stone, is one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem, and is executed at the highest artistic level — said Dr Yuval Baruch, who led and supervised the excavations, as quoted by gbnews.com.
Archaeological discovery confirms biblical history
Interestingly, the seal also bears the name Yo’ezer, which appears in the Bible and belonged to one of King David's warriors. A very similar name, Azariah ben Hosh’aya, is mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah, which describes events from the time of the First Temple.
It is impossible not to be moved by such an unmediated and direct encounter with a chapter of our past, a time in which the First Temple stood in all its glory—said Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu.
The seal will be showcased for participants of the 25th annual City of David Research Conference in Jerusalem in a week. It will be available for viewing over two days (4-5 September).
