Archaeologists Uncover Rare 2,700-Year-Old Judahite Stone Seal at Temple Mount

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Archaeologists excavating in the Old City of Jerusalem have uncovered an exceedingly rare, highly artistic 2,700 stone seal that was probably made by a local Judahite craftsman, World Israel News (WIN) reports.

The seal was recently discovered near the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount during excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David organization, WIN said.

Dating back to the First Temple period, the seal is inscribed in paleo-Hebrew script with the words “LeYehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu,” WIN reports. Notably, the name Yehoʼezer is referenced in the Old Testament (Chron. I 12:7) in its abbreviated form – Yoʼezer, a warrior for Israel’s King David.

Moreover, WIN notes, the Old Testament book of Jeremiah (43:2), references the name Azariah ben Hoshʼaya while describing events that took place during this period.

Made of black stone, the seal depicts a figure with wings wearing a long striped garment.

“The figure has a mane of long curls covering the nape of the neck, and on its head is a hat – or a crown. The figure raises one arm forward, with an open palm; perhaps to suggest some object it is holding,” WIN said in its report.

“This is an extremely rare and unusual discovery,” Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeologist and Assyriologist Dr. Filip Vukosavović said in a statement. “It seems that the object was made by a local craftsman – a Judahite, who produced the amulet at the owner’s request. It was prepared at a very high artistic level.”

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