Discovery in Jerusalem ‘confirms whole chapters’ from the Bible, according to archaeologists.
Discovery in Jerusalem ‘confirms whole chapters’ from the Bible, according to archaeologists.
Jeremiah is the second of the Hebrew Bible’s Latter Prophets, as well as the second of the Old Testament’s Prophets. It narrates the story of Jeremiah, one of the text’s primary protagonists, including his personal life, his experiences, and his captivity, which nearly cost him his life.
The prophet warned the people of Jerusalem of their coming captivity at the hands of the Babylonian army during the last days of the Kingdom of Judah. Rather than heeding the warning, the princes of King Zedekiah’s administration attacked the messenger and imprisoned him.
Incredibly, historian Shahar Shilo described how a firm clay seal impression discovered in the City of David added legitimacy to the tale.
“Historical documents confirm the Bible story; the Bible’s texts are as clear as they come, but we, historians, can actually prove it,” he said.
“This is a bulla, or impression, that once belonged to a certain minister in the Kingdom of Zadok.
“Jehucal ben Shelemiah was his name” (Jehucal the son of Shelemiah).
“When he sees a dreadful prophecy, this is the one who snatches Jeremiah by the arm and throws him into the pit.”
Excavators almost overlooked the object since it was only one millimetre in diameter. Dr. Eilat Mazar, a famous archaeologist, decoded the message, which said, “Belonging to Jehucal, son of Shelemiah, son of Shovi.”
This Jehucal was one of the princes that interacted with Jeremiah, according to the Bible. The bulla is notable because it appeared to describe two biblical persons – Jehucal and Shelemiah – when it was discovered in 2005.
“Jeremiah tells King Zedekiah that his sons and daughters would be slain in front of his eyes,” Mr Shilo added in September.
“From over the grave, the man who was [Zedikiah’s] minister is speaking, claiming it is him you are reading about in the bulla.”
“So this is biblical evidence for us; it confirms a whole chapter and stories from the Bible.”
“This is a 2,600-year-old ancient text,”
The kings, priests, and people of Judah continued to ignore Jeremiah’s warnings. Rather than bringing many people to safety, Jeremiah’s work nearly killed him. The remarkable document lends support to the Bible’s authenticity, but Dr. Mazar, who played a vital role in its discovery, died earlier this year at the age of 64.
She unearthed the ruins of a palace believed to belong to King David, a gate associated with King Solomon, a wall attributed to Nehemiah, and a seal that may have belonged to the prophet Isaiah during her five decades of excavating the Holy Land.
Dr. Mazar was once dubbed the “queen of Jerusalem archaeology” because she took the Bible seriously as a historical document and fought researchers who believed it was unscientific to pay too much attention to it.