Body: | Bulla of Jucal son of Shelemiah (Shelemyahu) son of Shovi
Bible Bullae from Israel and Judah
Bulla of Jucal son of Shelemyahu son of Shovi
"Archaeologists are digging up bible stories!!!"
Encyclopedia of Bullae and Seals:
The Exhibit: On-line Museum of Bulla and seals
Security: How bullae are made to seal papyrus
Forgeries: Known fake bullae and seals
Archaeologists are digging up bible stories!!!
Archaeology is an important science that confirms the historical accuracy of the Bible. Since the Bible refers to hundreds of cities, kings, and places, we would expect to find evidence from on-site excavations. And this is exactly what we have found. The Bible is the most historically accurate book of history on earth. Read the Bible daily!
Encyclopedia of Bullae and Seals of Judea and Israel
Bulla "belonging to Jucal son of Shelemyahu son of Shovi"
Introduction:
1. Two of the most important archeological finds from two
different official archeological digs are the bulla and ostracon of
Shelemiah.
a. The bulla was discovered in the city of David in 2010 AD
b. The ostracon of Shelemiah was discovered in Lachish in 1935
AD.
2. Amazing confirmation the Bible is real history.
3. What we read in the book, we find in the ground!
I. Gadaliah and Jucal: Two Seals from City of David Excavation: 2008-2010
AD
Jucal son of Shelemyahu son of Shovi
Gedaliah son of Pashhur
1. Of all the seals featured on this page, these two are the most
important because they were found in situ during and official archeological
dig and were therefore fully documented and provenanced.
2. In one of the most spectacular archeological finds, Eilat
Mazar found two clay seals naming two different men named in A SINGLE BIBLE
VERSE!!! What is more spectacular, is that Eilat Mazar found the two clay
bullae in the same archeological excavation two years apart (2008, 2010)
only a few meters from each other!!!
Both names on the two seals are found in one Bible verse: "Now
Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal
the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that
Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying," (Jeremiah 38:1)
These clay seals are both featured in the Israeli Museum in Israel.
"The object that was perhaps our most startling find dates to the
last period of use of the Large-Stone Structure-from the period just
before the Babylonian destruction. It was a seal impression (called a
bulla) that once sealed a document, which has long since disintegrated.
Like bullae generally, this one is like a flattened ball of clay about the
size of a fingernail. The credit for its discovery goes to the hawk eyes of
Yoav Farhi, the supervisor of our Area A. He spotted it at the exact moment
when the sun's rays illuminated the letters. Without this particular
lighting, you can see nothing. Even when the bulla is lit from various
directions, only letter fragments are visible. Lighting from a certain
specific direction, however, suddenly illuminates all of the letters as if
by magic. The bulla contains three lines of ancient Hebrew script. Yoav
quickly deciphered part of a name in the second line-S?LM (Shalem). I
took the bulla home that night. Well into the night, when the children were
asleep and the house was quiet, I began to study it. Slowly, I deciphered
the name in the first line: Yehuchal. Could it be a Biblical name? I did
not recall any Yehuchal in the Bible. Perhaps my reading of the name was
wrong. But just to make sure I pulled from the shelf a Biblical
encyclopedia. There he was, as large as life-in the book of the prophet
Jeremiah: King Zedekiah sent Yehuchal (Jehucal in English Bibles) son of
Shelemiah to the prophet Jeremiah to pray for the people (Jeremiah 37:3).
In the following chapter, we learn that this same man, who was a royal
minister, heard the decidedly unwelcome predictions of disaster coming from
Jeremiah's lips. When I opened the encyclopedia and saw the same name in
the Bible as was on the bulla, I let out a shriek of surprise that rang out
through the still house. Fortunately, the children slept soundly. I felt as
though I had just "resurrected" someone straight out of the Bible.
There is something else unusual about this bulla. It read: "Belonging to
Yehuchal ben (the son of) Shelemiyahu ben Shovi." Thus we now know the
name of Yehuchal's grandfather, as well as his father. Why did Yehuchal
mention his grandfather on his seal? This was hardly the standard practice.
Perhaps his grandfather was a distinguished, well-known figure in his own
right. In Yigal Shiloh's excavation in the 1980s, adjacent to our site,
he found 45 bullae in the destruction layer of one of the rooms. But none
of the bullae Shiloh excavated mentions the grandfather, only the father."
(Did I Find King David's Palace?, Eilat Mazar, BAR, 2012)
II. Lachish Ostracon #9: Shelemiah:
Ostracon number nine was discovered in 1935 AD on location at the
official dig site at the Biblical city of Lachish.
For a full discussion of this ostracon click here.
Lachish Ostracon #9: Shelemiah (Jer 38:1; 37:3) "Jucal son of Shelemiah"
For a full discussion of this ostracon click here.
Lachish Ostracon #9:
Shelemiah (Jer 38:1; 37:3)
Jucal son of Shelemiah
Inscription on pottery shard:
"May Yahweh cause my lord to hear reports of peace and of good news. And now, give 10 loaves of bread and 2 measures of wine. Bring back to your servant a word by the hand of Shelemiah concerning what we must do tomorrow"
1935 AD Lachish: British Museum
Date of ostracon: 587 BC
Conclusion:
1. The bulla and ostracon of Shelemiah are amazing finds that
verify the bible.
a. The bulla was discovered in the city of David in 2010 AD
b. The ostracon of Shelemiah was discovered in Lachish in 1935
AD.
2. For a full discussion of ostracon #9 click here.
3. What we read in the book, we find in the ground!
4. The Bible is real history! Why not read it more?
By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.
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