First Temple-era ‘genie’ seal discovered in Jerusalem
The 2700 year-old seal was discovered in the Davidson Archaeological Garden, just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City
A First Temple period stone seal featuring ancient Hebrew script and an image of a genie has been discovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority has confirmed.
Dr. Yuval Baruch and Navot Rom, directors with the IAA excavation firm said the small, black stone seal is “one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem, and is executed at the highest artistic level.”
The seal was discovered in the Davidson Archaeological Garden, just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City, during ongoing excavations.
Around 2,700 years old, the seal is engraved with the words “LeYehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu” — “For Yeho’ezer son of Hosh’ayahu” — in paleo-Hebrew script.
It is likely that the owner was a senior official during the Kingdom of Judah and used the seal to sign documents or certificates, the IAA said.
“This is an extremely rare and unusual discovery. This is the first time that a winged ‘genie’ – a protective magical figure – has been found in Israeli and regional archaeology. Figures of winged demons are known in the Neo-Assyrian art of the 9th-7th Centuries BCE, and they were considered a kind of protective demon,” Dr. Filip Vukosavović, an assyriologist and IAA archaeologist, said of the seal.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
