Shelomit seal
Encyclopedia
The Shelomit seal is an elliptical black stone seal (2.1 x 1.8 cm) excavated by Eilat Mazar
in Jerusalem, January 2008. It was found in a stratified layer estimated at 2,500 years old, just outside the Old City walls near the Dung Gate.
At the bottom are four Paleo-Hebrew
letters: Shin, Lamed, Mem, Tau. (For a detailed paleographical analysis, see Ryan Byrne's online article published by the Biblical Archaeology Society.
7:55.
According to the Book of Nehemiah, the Temech family were servants of the First Temple and were sent into exile to Babylon
following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The family was among those who later returned to Jerusalem.
Other scholars (initially Peter van der Veen, followed by others) read the seal's letters in reverse order and suggested a reading of "Sh-l-m-t" (Shelomith), a name found in 1Chronicles 3:19
and Ezra
8:10 dating to the same approximate time.
On January 30, 2008, the Biblical Archaeology Society
published analyses by scholars with epigraphy expertise, Robert Deutsch and Anson Rainey
, and Mazar agreed to revise her reading. Of this decision Mazar has written, "Despite the fact that seals are meant to be pressed into clay, some seals are nevertheless not written in mirror image-perhaps because they were engraved by a local craftsman who was not especially skilled. Another difficulty is the unclear 'tail' of the lamed [character]. Nevertheless, I now agree that the name Shelomit is the preferable reading."
.
Eilat Mazar
Eilat Mazar is a third-generation Israeli archaeologist, specializing in Jerusalem and Phoenician archeology. A senior fellow at the Shalem Center, she has worked on the Temple Mount excavations, as well as excavations at Achzib. In addition to heading the Shalem Center's Institute of Archeology,...
in Jerusalem, January 2008. It was found in a stratified layer estimated at 2,500 years old, just outside the Old City walls near the Dung Gate.
Design
The stone depicts two bearded priests standing on either side of an incense altar with their hands raised forward in a position of worship. A crescent moon, symbol of the chief Babylonian god Sin, appears on the top of the altar. It has been described as a common and popular Babylonian cultic scene.At the bottom are four Paleo-Hebrew
Paleo-Hebrew alphabet
The Paleo-Hebrew alphabet , is an abjad offshoot of the ancient Semitic alphabet, identical to the Phoenician alphabet. At the very least it dates to the 10th century BCE...
letters: Shin, Lamed, Mem, Tau. (For a detailed paleographical analysis, see Ryan Byrne's online article published by the Biblical Archaeology Society.
Two possible readings
Mazar initially read the inscription as "Temech" (three letters: Tau, Mem, Het), and associated it with a family named "Tamah" in NehemiahBook of Nehemiah
The Book of Nehemiah is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Told largely in the form of a first-person memoir, it concerns the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, a Jew who is a high official at the Persian court, and the dedication of the city and its people to God's laws...
7:55.
According to the Book of Nehemiah, the Temech family were servants of the First Temple and were sent into exile to Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The family was among those who later returned to Jerusalem.
Other scholars (initially Peter van der Veen, followed by others) read the seal's letters in reverse order and suggested a reading of "Sh-l-m-t" (Shelomith), a name found in 1Chronicles 3:19
Books of Chronicles
The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings...
and Ezra
Book of Ezra
The Book of Ezra is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Originally combined with the Book of Nehemiah in a single book of Ezra-Nehemiah, the two became separated in the early centuries of the Christian era...
8:10 dating to the same approximate time.
On January 30, 2008, the Biblical Archaeology Society
Biblical Archaeology Society
The Biblical Archaeology Society is a non-denominational organization that supports and promotes biblical archaeology. It publishes Biblical Archaeology Review. Its past publications included Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey . The Biblical Archaeology Society also publishes books about...
published analyses by scholars with epigraphy expertise, Robert Deutsch and Anson Rainey
Anson Rainey
Anson Frank Rainey was Professor Emeritus of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University. He is known in particular for contributions to the study of the Amarna tablets, the legendary administrative letters from the period of Pharaoh Akhenaten's rule during the...
, and Mazar agreed to revise her reading. Of this decision Mazar has written, "Despite the fact that seals are meant to be pressed into clay, some seals are nevertheless not written in mirror image-perhaps because they were engraved by a local craftsman who was not especially skilled. Another difficulty is the unclear 'tail' of the lamed [character]. Nevertheless, I now agree that the name Shelomit is the preferable reading."
Biblical connection
Christopher Heard observed that the coincidence of names on the seal and in Chronicles does not necessarily imply that this seal belonged to the person named in the Bible.Gender
Ryan Byrne published an online article presuming the name to be feminine. Christopher Heard challenged this with a comparison of all examples named in the TanakhTanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
.