Shema Seal

The Shema Seal is an ancient Jasper seal that dates back to the 8th century BCE and mentions the King of ancient Israel, Jeroboam.[1][2][3]

Shema Seal

Postage stamp depicting the Shema Seal

Material| (Original) Jasper
(Bulla) Clay
Writing| Paleo Hebrew
Created| 8th century BCE
Discovered| (Original) 1904, Megiddo, Israel
(Bulla) bought from a Bedouin market in 1980
Present location| (Original) unknown
(Bulla) Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem

## Discovery[edit]

Archaeologist Gottlieb Schumacher and his team began excavating at Megiddo and found the seal during a three-year excavation program.[4] The seal was discovered in 1904, in an excavation dump. The layers in which it was found were dated to the eighth century BCE.[5] Schumacher send the original seal to Istanbul but it never returned. Its current location is unknown. A bronze cast made before it was sent away.[6][7]

## Bulla[edit]

In the 1980s Yigal Ronen, a nuclear engineer and amateur antiquities collector from the Ben Gurion university, visited the Bedouin market in Be'er Sheva.[8] He was offered a tiny clay lump stamped with the image of a roaring lion and ancient Hebrew writing. Ronen bought it for 10 Shekels, even though suspecting it to be a forgery.[9][10]

It turned out to be authentical.[11] It is not the original Meggido seal, but features the same images and dates from the same period as the original.[12][13][14]

## Text[edit]

> “Belonging to Shema (שמע)[15] the servant of Jeroboam.”[16][17]

Hebrew to English translation:

‘Ishm’ ‘bdyrbm’[1]

## See also[edit]

* List of inscriptions in biblical archaeology
* Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)
* Kingdom of Judah
* Kings of ancient Israel and Judah
* Beersheba Settlement
* Governor of Jerusalem Seal
* Kosher Bread Stamp

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Seal of Shema, Servant of Jeroboam - MC 0177 | Metzger Collection". metzgercollection.pastperfectonline.com. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
2. ^ Merrill, A. L. "Shema` Seal". dl.atla.com. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
3. ^ Ussishkin, David. "Gate 1567 at Megiddo and the Seal of Shema, Servant of Jeroboam". In: M.D. Coogan et al. (eds.), Scripture and Other Artifacts; Essays on the Bible and Archaeology in Honor of Philip J. King, Louisville, 1994, pp. 410-428.
4. ^ May 24, Eleanor Clarke •. "Ancient Seal Proves Biblical King Jeroboam". ArmstrongInstitute.org. Retrieved 2024-02-16.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
5. ^ Lidzbarski, Mark. "Seal of Shema, Servant of Jereboam". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
6. ^ Dating the Iron Age IIB Archaeological Horizon in Israel and Judah. ISBN 978-3-96327-086-4.
7. ^ "Israel Museum Photos". www.julianspriggs.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
8. ^ Aḥituv, Shmuel; Ayalon, Avner; Bar-Matthews, Mira; Goren, Yuval; Magen, Michael; Oren, Eliezer D.; Shamir, Orit (2023-07-03). "A Seal Impression of 'ShemaꜤ Servant of Jeroboam'". Tel Aviv. 50 (2): 216–230. doi:10.1080/03344355.2023.2246817. ISSN 0334-4355.
9. ^ בלומנטל, איתי (2020-12-09). "אחרי שנקנה בשוק ב-10 שקלים התברר: החותם בן כ-3,000 שנה". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-02-16.
10. ^ "Uncovering biblical king Jeroboam".
11. ^ "'Fake' Seal Impression of Biblical King Jeroboam Is Authentic, New Study Says". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
12. ^ "Jeroboam's Bulla". Digital Manna Ministries, Inc. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
13. ^ "2,700 years ago, tiny clay piece sealed deal for Bible's King Jeroboam II". The Times Of Israel.
14. ^ "Archaeology news: 2.300-year -old seal of Biblical king Jeroboam II found in Israel | Science | News | Express.co.uk". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
15. ^ "Ancient Hebrew seals : Reifenberg, A. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
16. ^ Avigad, N. (1964). "Seals and Sealings". Israel Exploration Journal. 14 (3): 190–194. ISSN 0021-2059.
17. ^ "Seal from reign of Jeroboam II. "Shema, servant of Jeroboam"". JSTOR.

## Bibliography[edit]

* https://www.biblehistory.net/jeroboam.html
* https://paulwmanuel.blogspot.com/2017/12/digging-up-bible-shema-seal_15.html
* https://biblearchaeology.org/current-events-list/4763-scholar-claims-to-authenticate-the-bulla-of-servant-of-king-jeroboam-ii