Archaeology

Hezekiah's Royal Seal Impression

Era: c. 727-698 BC
Location: Ophel, Jerusalem
Discovered: 2015 (announced 2015)

A clay seal impression (bulla) reading "Belonging to Hezekiah, [son of] Ahaz, king of Judah" — recovered in controlled excavations right beside the Temple Mount.

The find

Discovered by Eilat Mazar's team during sifting from the Ophel excavations, the bulla is a fingerprint-sized lump of clay once used to seal a document. The Hebrew inscription names Hezekiah explicitly as king of Judah and son of Ahaz, with an Egyptian-style winged-sun symbol.

Why it matters

This is direct, in-context epigraphic evidence for King Hezekiah — the central figure of 2 Kings 18-20, Isaiah 36-39, and 2 Chronicles 29-32.

Cross-linked Scripture

2 Kings 18:1-8
2 Chronicles 29:1-2
Isaiah 38:1-8
Proverbs 25:1

Doctrine check

Sources

·Mazar, E. (2015). Royal Seal of Hezekiah Comes to Light in Ophel Excavations. Hebrew University press release
·LMLK seal — royal Judahite seal impressions (Wikipedia)