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First Temple-Era Seal Discovered in Temple Mount Rubble

(Jerusalem Post) Etgar Lefkovits - A First-Temple-period seal has been discovered amidst piles of rubble from Jerusalem's Temple Mount in what could prove to be an historic find, Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay said Tuesday. The small - less than 1 cm - seal impression, or bulla, discovered would mark the first time that a written artifact was found from the Temple Mount dating back to the First Temple period. The 2,600-year-old artifact, with three lines in ancient Hebrew, was discovered amidst the rubble discarded by the Islamic Wakf. Barkay and a team of archaeologists and volunteers are sifting through it on the grounds of a Jerusalem national park. The seal, which predates the destruction of the First Jewish temple in 586 BCE, was the first of its kind from the time of King David, Barkay said. He has not yet determined what the writing is on the seal, although three Hebrew letters - thought to be the name of its owner - are visible on one of its lines. With a license from the Antiquities Authority, Barkay has found scores of history-rich artifacts including a large amount of pottery dating from the Bronze Ages through modern times, a large segment of a marble pillar's shaft, and over 100 ancient coins, among them several from the Hasmonean Dynasty.
2005-09-30 00:00:00
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