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Shema Seal
Postage stamp depicting the Shema Seal
Material(Original) Jasper
(Bulla) Clay
WritingPaleo Hebrew
Created8th century BCE
Discovered(Original) 1904, Megiddo, Israel
(Bulla) bought from a Bedouin market in 1980
Present location(Original) unknown
(Bulla) Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem

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

Discovery

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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][6] Schumacher sent the original seal to Istanbul, but it was never returned.[7] In 1966 Gottlieb's daughter gave a testimonial that her father told her that the seal was placed in Abdul Hamid II tomb.[8] A bronze cast was made before it was sent away.[9][10]

Bulla

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In the 1980s, Yigal Ronen, a nuclear engineer and amateur antiquities collector from Ben Gurion university, visited the Bedouin market in Be'er Sheva.[11] 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 he suspected it to be a forgery.[12][13]

It turned out to be authentic.[14] It is not the original Meggido seal, but features the same images and dates from the same period as the original.[15][16][17] However, some contest its authenticity.[18]

Text

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“Belonging to Shema (שמע)[19] the servant of Jeroboam.”[20][21]

Hebrew to English translation:

‘lshm’ ‘bd yrbm’[1]

See also

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References

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  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 (1994). "Gate 1567 at Megiddo and the Seal of Shema, Servant of Jeroboam". In Coogan, Michael D.; Exum, J. Cheryl; Stager, Lawrence E.; Greene, Josesph A. (eds.). Scripture and Other Artifacts; Essays on the Bible and Archaeology in Honor of Philip J. King (First ed.). Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 410–428. ISBN 0-664-22036-3. LCCN 94009998 – via the Internet Archive.
  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. ^ King, Philip J. (1988-01-01). Amos, Hosea, Micah: An Archaeological Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-24077-6.
  7. ^ Fant, Clyde E.; Reddish, Mitchell G. (2008-10-15). Lost Treasures of the Bible: Understanding the Bible Through Archaeological Artifacts in World Museums. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8028-2881-1.
  8. ^ https://dannythedigger.com/shema-seal/
  9. ^ Dating the Iron Age IIB Archaeological Horizon in Israel and Judah. Zaphon. 2020. ISBN 978-3-96327-086-4.
  10. ^ "Israel Museum Photos". www.julianspriggs.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Uncovering biblical king Jeroboam".
  14. ^ "'Fake' Seal Impression of Biblical King Jeroboam Is Authentic, New Study Says". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  15. ^ "Jeroboam's Bulla". Digital Manna Ministries, Inc. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  16. ^ "2,700 years ago, tiny clay piece sealed deal for Bible's King Jeroboam II". The Times Of Israel.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ https://www.academia.edu/121011857/The_Bulla_of_Shema_Servant_of_Jeroboam_An_Embarrassing_Forgery
  19. ^ "Ancient Hebrew seals : Reifenberg, A. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  20. ^ Avigad, N. (1964). "Seals and Sealings". Israel Exploration Journal. 14 (3): 190–194. ISSN 0021-2059. JSTOR 27924985.
  21. ^ "Seal from reign of Jeroboam II. "Shema, servant of Jeroboam"". Visual Arts Legacy Collection. JSTOR community.13589433.
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