Barakel
Encyclopedia
Barakhel or Barakel was a king of Ammon in the 670s BCE. He is known from a small (15.9x16.9 mm) black clay
bulla
bearing his seal
impression. A groove and several dots around the impression demonstrate that the seal likely took the form of a metal ring. Fingerprints found around the edge of the bulla may belong to Barakel himself.
His name, which invokes the name of the god El
(as do the names of his fellow Ammonite kings Pado'el
and Barakel) suggests that El was worshipped in Ammon alongside Milcom and other deities. Interestingly, the seal is aniconic, unusual for a device of its type., some scholars have speculated that this may be due to the influence of Israelite
iconoclasm
(though others dispute this, maintaining that an image may well have appeared on the reverse of the seal and/or that rejection of images is not entirely evident from contemporary excavations in Israel
itself.
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
bulla
Bulla
-People:* Anton Bulla, a Slovak footballer and coach* Clyde Robert Bulla , an American author of books for children* Johnny Bulla, an American golfer* Karl Bulla, a Russian photographer* Max Bulla, an Australian bicycle racer...
bearing his seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
impression. A groove and several dots around the impression demonstrate that the seal likely took the form of a metal ring. Fingerprints found around the edge of the bulla may belong to Barakel himself.
His name, which invokes the name of the god El
El (god)
is a Northwest Semitic word meaning "deity", cognate to Akkadian and then to Hebrew : Eli and Arabic )....
(as do the names of his fellow Ammonite kings Pado'el
Pado'el
Pado'el was king of Ammon in the 720s BCE and probably the successor to Shanip. He is mentioned as a vassal of the Assyrian kings Sennacherib and Esarhaddon...
and Barakel) suggests that El was worshipped in Ammon alongside Milcom and other deities. Interestingly, the seal is aniconic, unusual for a device of its type., some scholars have speculated that this may be due to the influence of Israelite
Israelite
According to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
(though others dispute this, maintaining that an image may well have appeared on the reverse of the seal and/or that rejection of images is not entirely evident from contemporary excavations in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
itself.