King Ahaz's seal is a bulla (impressed piece of clay) originating from the 8th century BCE. The place of discovery of this seal is unknown, and it is currently part of Shlomo Moussaieff's private collection. The seal contains an ancient Hebrew inscription mentioning the name of Ahaz of Judah, as well as the name of his father, Jotham (Jotham), identifying Ahaz as the "king of Judah". The bulla contains a fingerprint which may belong to Ahaz himself.

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Another extra-biblical source regarding the historicity of Ahaz comes from Tiglath-Pileser III, mentioning tributes he received in gold and silver from Ahaz, and from the bulla known as Ushna seal.

Authenticity

Unprovenanced artifacts that originate in the antiquities market are subject to authentication disputes. The authenticity of ancient bullae has been the topic of scholarly discussion. According to Robert Deutsch, an archeologist who is also the antique dealer who sold the Ahaz bulla, most scholars believe the bullae to be authentic. Others, such as Andrew Vaughn, agree that it would be difficult to fake a bulla, but do not rule out such a possibility, and in fact conclude that some bullae are forgeries.

Other seals

Other contemporary seals include the two ascribed to ministers of Uzziah and a seal of Hezekiah.Orte und Landschaften der Bibel. Die Geschichte Jerusalems und die ... - Page 384 Othmar Keel, Max Küchler - 2007 "268 Siegel des Schebanjau, eines Ministers ('cebced) des jud. Königs Usija; zwei geflügelte Sonnescheiben rahmen den Namen ein (um 779-738a) 269 Siegel des Uschna, eines Ministers des jud. Königs Ahas; über dem Namen eine ..."

References

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External links

Comprehensive list of mud and clay seals (bullae) found in Palestine/Israel
8th-century BC inscriptions Hebrew inscriptions Archaeology of Israel Biblical archaeology Cylinder and impression seals in archaeology Forgery controversies Israelite and Jewish archaeological artifacts

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Authenticity

Other seals

See also

References

External links