Two exciting new discoveries made during archaeological excavations in the City of David, Jerusalem, were released to the public on Sunday. The finds—a blue agate seal and a clay seal impression—are circa 2,600 years old and were uncovered by
Two exciting new discoveries made during archaeological excavations in the City of David, Jerusalem, were released to the public on Sunday. The finds—a blue agate seal and a clay seal impression—are circa 2,600 years old and were uncovered by Israeli archaeologist Yuval Gadot and Yiftah Shalev’s team during the ongoing Givati Parking Lot excavation.
Of the two items announced in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s press release, the burnt clay seal impression has attracted the most interest. The inscription reads: “Belonging to Nathan-Melech, Servant of the King.” The name Nathan-Melech appears only once in the biblical account (2 Kings 23:11)—he was an official in King Josiah’s royal court. The bulla dates to the same time period (seventh century b.c.) and confirms the existence of this individual.
The verse in 2 Kings describes King Josiah’s purge of idolatry and reinstatement of true worship in Judah: “Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire” (2 Kings 23:11; New King James Version).
The bulla title of “servant,” eved, is different from the title expressed in the biblical text (saris, translated as “official,” “chamberlain” or “eunuch”). However, “servant” is a more generic label for an official, which would certainly cover the biblically described position of Nathan-Melech. It is also spelled with fewer Hebrew letters—an important consideration when carving a title onto a small seal-stamp.
Dr. Anat Mendel-Geberovich said that the lack of a surname on the bulla indicates this historical character was well known and of notable importance. This would also fit with the biblical figure, who was a high-ranking official of his day, and who also lacks a formal surname, or “son of,” attribution. The given name “Nathan-