While working on the southern slope of the Castle Mount in Jerusalem, a group of archaeologists led by Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University discovered a clay cast of the personal press of Hezekiah, king of Judea, who ruled at the end of the 8th century BC. According to scientists, Hezekiah is one of the few biblical personalities, the existence of which is confirmed by archaeological finds. The study is reported on the official website of the university.
Excavations are underway at the Ofel Archaeological Park, which belongs to the National Park around the walls of Jerusalem and is protected by the Israel Department of the Environment. The authors found a clay cast about one centimeter in diameter. According to archaeologists, not to miss such a small find was helped by the fact that the soil was subjected to wet sieving.
The artifact contains an inscription in Hebrew: "Belongs to Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judea." In addition, there are several symbols on it: a two-winged sun and two ankhs (Coptic crosses). According to archaeologists, the first sign marked the divine protection, and the other two symbolized life. Previously, such artifacts were found only in the shops of ragmen and dealers.
Characteristically, the sun was the symbol of Hezekiah on the seal. If in the modified symbol of royal power on the royal vessels there is a motive of the sun with wings stretched out in both directions, then on the personal symbol of Hezekiah the wings cover the sun and look down, and at the end of each wing is a symbol of life. Through such symbols of life, one can make sure that the king’s personal seal changed after the deadly disease Hezekiah had suffered (Shekinah II Kings 20: 1–8), and the symbol of life became especially important to him (704 BC). This indicates that the cast was left in the late period of the reign of the king, when he changed his previous symbol - the scarab.
In the Bible, about King Hezekiah it was said, “and there was no one like him between all the kings of Judah and after him and before him” (4 Nichi of Samuel, 18: 5). It is also mentioned in the text on the prism of Sinakhérib - the Assyrian king, who conquered most of Judea, seized more than 40 cities.