Archaeologists have discovered an “extremely rare and unusual” ancient stone amulet in Jerusalem that could transform our understanding of reading and writing in ancient times.
“This seal, made of black stone, is one of the most beautiful seals ever excavated in ancient Jerusalem,” Yuval Baruch, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and Navot Rom, said in a statement. Fox News reported.
The artifact was found in the Davidson Archaeological Park during a joint excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David Foundation. The Times of Israel reported. The object is estimated to be around 2,700 years old and is one of the oldest discoveries since excavation began in the country.
This jewelry was specifically inscribed with the paleo-Hebrew phrase, “le Yehoezer ben Hoshayahu,” meaning “to Yehoezer son of Hoshayahu” — which refers to two prominent men who likely lived between the 10th and 6th centuries B.C. The words were in mirror writing — the opposite of the natural direction of language — so a seal could have been used to press the words into the wax.
Meanwhile, a small hole in the stone suggests a thread or chain may have been threaded through it.
This led experts to speculate that the jewel belonged to a high-ranking official of the Kingdom of Judah, who used the seal to sign documents and also wore it around his neck as a protective amulet.
Perhaps the most significant was the depiction of a winged figure, whose appearance and design appear to have been influenced by the Assyrians who ruled Judah at the time.
“This is an extremely rare and unusual discovery,” said IAA archaeologist and Assyriologist Dr. Filip Vukosavovic. “This is the first time that a winged 'genie' – a protective magical figure – has been found in Israeli and regional archaeology.”
He adds, “Figures of winged demons are seen in Neo-Assyrian art of the 9th–7th centuries BCE, and were regarded as a type of protective demon.”
In this case, the seal would have been used as a symbol of the owner's authority.
As far as the identity of the wearer is concerned, the presence of the ornate motif and the somewhat haphazard inscriptions seem to indicate that the letters were added later.
Archaeologists speculate that the pendant was initially owned by “a man named Hoshayahu” — so the engraving on it says — who was the above-mentioned official “in the administration of the Kingdom of Judah,” the IAA wrote.
When he died, his son Yehoezer inherited the seal, and inscribed his name and his father’s name on the seal so that he could take possession of “the beneficial properties contained in the talisman as a magical object.”
This writing possibly indicates that the ability to read and write was more widespread than previously believed.
Baruch theorized that “contrary to what is commonly thought, it seems that literacy in this period was not just the domain of society's elite.” “People knew how to read and write—at least on a basic level, for the needs of commerce.”
