Wikipedia

Shema seal

The Shema Seal is an ancient Jasper seal that dates to the 8th century BCE and mentions the King of ancient Israel, Jeroboam.[1][2][3]

Shema Seal
Postage stamp depicting the Shema Seal
Material(Original) Jasper
(Bulla) Clay
WritingPaleo Hebrew
Created8th century BCE
Discovered(Original) 1904, Megiddo, Israel
(Bulla) bought from a Bedouin market in 1980
Present location(Original) unknown
(Bulla) Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem

Discovery

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Archaeologist Gottlieb Schumacher and his team began excavating at Megiddo and found the seal during a three-year excavation program.[4] The seal was discovered in 1904, in an excavation dump. The layers in which it was found were dated to the eighth century BCE.[5][6] Schumacher sent the original seal to Istanbul, but it was never returned.[7] In 1966 Gottlieb's daughter gave a testimonial that her father told her that the seal was placed in Abdul Hamid II tomb.[8] A bronze cast was made before it was sent away.[9][10]

Bulla

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In the 1980s, Yigal Ronen, a nuclear engineer and amateur antiquities collector from Ben Gurion university, visited the Bedouin market in Be'er Sheva.[11] He was offered a tiny clay lump stamped with the image of a roaring lion and ancient Hebrew writing. Ronen bought it for 10 shekels, even though he suspected it to be a forgery.[12][13]

It turned out to be authentic.[14] It is not the original Meggido seal, but features the same images and dates from the same period as the original.[15][16][17] However, some contest its authenticity.[18]

Text

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“Belonging to Shema (שמע)[19] the servant of Jeroboam.”[20][21]

Hebrew to English translation:

‘lshm’ ‘bd yrbm’[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Seal of Shema, Servant of Jeroboam - MC 0177 | Metzger Collection". metzgercollection.pastperfectonline.com. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  2. ^ Merrill, A. L. "Shema' Seal". dl.atla.com. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  3. ^ Ussishkin, David (1994). "Gate 1567 at Megiddo and the Seal of Shema, Servant of Jeroboam". In Coogan, Michael D.; Exum, J. Cheryl; Stager, Lawrence E.; Greene, Josesph A. (eds.). Scripture and Other Artifacts; Essays on the Bible and Archaeology in Honor of Philip J. King (First ed.). Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 410–428. ISBN 0-664-22036-3. LCCN 94009998 – via the Internet Archive.
  4. ^ May 24, Eleanor Clarke •. "Ancient Seal Proves Biblical King Jeroboam". ArmstrongInstitute.org. Retrieved 2024-02-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Lidzbarski, Mark. "Seal of Shema, Servant of Jereboam". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  6. ^ King, Philip J. (1988-01-01). Amos, Hosea, Micah: An Archaeological Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-24077-6.
  7. ^ Fant, Clyde E.; Reddish, Mitchell G. (2008-10-15). Lost Treasures of the Bible: Understanding the Bible Through Archaeological Artifacts in World Museums. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8028-2881-1.
  8. ^ https://dannythedigger.com/shema-seal/
  9. ^ Dating the Iron Age IIB Archaeological Horizon in Israel and Judah. Zaphon. 2020. ISBN 978-3-96327-086-4.
  10. ^ "Israel Museum Photos". www.julianspriggs.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  11. ^ Aḥituv, Shmuel; Ayalon, Avner; Bar-Matthews, Mira; Goren, Yuval; Magen, Michael; Oren, Eliezer D.; Shamir, Orit (2023-07-03). "A Seal Impression of 'ShemaꜤ Servant of Jeroboam'". Tel Aviv. 50 (2): 216–230. doi:10.1080/03344355.2023.2246817. ISSN 0334-4355.
  12. ^ בלומנטל, איתי (2020-12-09). "אחרי שנקנה בשוק ב-10 שקלים התברר: החותם בן כ-3,000 שנה". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  13. ^ "Uncovering biblical king Jeroboam".
  14. ^ "'Fake' Seal Impression of Biblical King Jeroboam Is Authentic, New Study Says". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  15. ^ "Jeroboam's Bulla". Digital Manna Ministries, Inc. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  16. ^ "2,700 years ago, tiny clay piece sealed deal for Bible's King Jeroboam II". The Times Of Israel.
  17. ^ "Archaeology news: 2.300-year -old seal of Biblical king Jeroboam II found in Israel | Science | News | Express.co.uk". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  18. ^ https://www.academia.edu/121011857/The_Bulla_of_Shema_Servant_of_Jeroboam_An_Embarrassing_Forgery
  19. ^ "Ancient Hebrew seals : Reifenberg, A. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  20. ^ Avigad, N. (1964). "Seals and Sealings". Israel Exploration Journal. 14 (3): 190–194. ISSN 0021-2059. JSTOR 27924985.
  21. ^ "Seal from reign of Jeroboam II. "Shema, servant of Jeroboam"". Visual Arts Legacy Collection. JSTOR community.13589433.
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