A find from the time of Jeremiah?

News from Israel and its surroundings have obviously been dominated by tragedy and violence, so it is a relief to share the announcement of a recent archaeological discovery that connects with Biblical history.

Despite military mobilisation, local tensions and threat of missiles, archaeological excavations continue in the Holy Land. The well-known excavations around the Temple Mount have shed a great deal of light on the New Testament period and the time of Jesus. But the recent announcement takes us back much further, to the Old Testament time of the first Temple.

The discovery, near the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, is of a beautiful stone seal. It would have been worn as an amulet and used to stamp official documents much like a signature. Many such seals have been found with varied degrees of artistic skill and some bearing the names of their owners. The excavation directors describe this one as ‘one of the most beautiful ever discovered.’ It bears the image of a striding winged creature, variously interpreted as a demon, genie or king. It is in the typical Assyrian style from 2,700 BC.

What makes the seal particularly interesting is that it bears a name written in the early Hebrew script: ‘Yeho’ezer son of Hosh’ayahu’. The name Yeho’ezer is one of the names of King David’s soldiers (1 Chron.12:7) but that person lived at an earlier period. However, Hosh’ayahu, the father’s name, is known from Jeremiah 43:2 where it appears in the abbreviated form ‘Hosh’aya’.

Archaeologists note that the name of Yeho’ezer seems to have been added later in a coarse writing style not quite in keeping with the beauty of the original seal. The seal is thought to have originally belonged to the father, Hosh’ayahu, with a son inheriting it and adding the inscription.

Could this belong to the Hosh’ayahu of the time of Jeremiah? Might his family have preserved the amulet of this important official known to Jeremiah? The seal clearly belonged to someone significant. There is a hole drilled through it so that it could be worn around the neck and used in transactions when it could be stamped on wax or clay to leave an impression. Found so close to the Temple Mount but bearing Assyrian iconography suggests that this was the possession of a family with much wider influence.

But why the image of a winged demon in Assyrian style? It certainly doesn’t sound very Biblical! Well, if we look at Jeremiah 43 we may have an answer. Hosh’aya is described as among the ‘arrogant men’ who accuse the prophet Jeremiah of lying. This person was a significant Jewish official with influence at the Temple, but he was also out of step with God’s will and an opponent of God’s prophet. That he might wear an amulet with the image of an Assyrian protective spirit is quite in keeping with his behaviour.

Whoever the seal belonged to, the simple paleo-Hebrew script is clear to read but poorly written. In other words, it indicates not the work of a scribe but an amateur. This in itself is significant evidence for another aspect of Old Testament life. Analysing the find, archaeologist Ronny Reich observes ‘literacy in this period was not the realm only of society’s elite. People knew how to read and write’. The very fact it is poorly inscribed reminds us that the ancient Israelites were a people of the Book. Despite their disobedience and idolatry, traces of their ancient script demonstrate that ordinary people had some ability to read and write.

We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and the surrounding region, but we can also be thankful for continuing scholarship in a time of war.