Top Finds in Israel – King Hezekiah Seal

On the southern wall of the holy temple area, there is a place that is called the “Ofel” (HaOfel in Hebrew). Dr. Ayelet Mazar has been overseeing and directing excavations here for many years. There are many archaeological findings: ritual baths (‘mikvehs’), houses and buildings from different periods, however, one of the highlights is the northern wall of the city of David at the time of King Solomon, including a gate and warehouses.

In this area, many seals were uncovered. These were used to seal the sacks holding different goods & merchandize. One of the seals found by Dr. Ayelet Mazar, is amazing, extremely important and valuable. It carries the name of King Hezekiah.

The inscription on the seal reads: THE HEZEKIAH, SON OF AHAZ, THE KING OF JUDAH. It measures just over a centimeter in diameter and bears a seal impression depicting a two-winged sun disk flanked by ankh symbols (the Egyptian symbol of life). This seal was, most probably, at the bottom of a document that was signed and sealed by King Hezekiah.

This finding and the enormity of it were so great, that President Reuven Rivlin, a 7th generation in Jerusalem, asked to be allowed to come on site and see it with his own eyes. And he said: “I am very excited as a person born in Jerusalem, to see a seal of one of the Kings of Jerusalem”.

To learn more about King Hezekiah, see below related videos about King Hezekiah.

I’d like to thank the Watchman for this video.