The seal or bulla of Jerusalem Governor is a 2,700 year old minuscule mud seal bearing the impression "Belonging to the governor of the city', found in the Western Wall plaza excavations, inscribed in ancient Hebrew script.
The upper part (inspect) of the seal depicts two men, standing facing one another in a mirror-like manner. The figures’ heads are depicted as large dots, lacking details, with the outward-facing hands dropping down and the hands facing inward are raised. Each of the figures is wearing a striped, knee-length garment. The lower part (inspect) holds an inscription in ancient Hebrew saying "belonging to the governor of the city."
circa 700 CE
Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, an IAA archaeologist who participated in the dig, said the sealing had likely been attached to an important transport and served as a logo, or as a tiny souvenir, which had been sent on behalf of the governor of the city. “The new find proves that around the late first temple period there was a governor of Jerusalem. In the Bible, there are two governors of Jerusalem mentioned by name – Joshua, the governor of Jerusalem in the days of king Hezekiah, and Maaseiah that was the governor of Jerusalem in the days of Josiah.”
circa 700 CE
According to Western Wall site excavator Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, “This is the first time that such an impression was found in an authorized excavation. It supports the biblical rendering of the existence of a governor of the city in Jerusalem 2,700 years ago.”
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The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
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