archaeologist have discovered what might be the first physical grounds of the seer Isaiah – a biblical figure revered across all of Judaism , Christianity , and Islam – whose impudent words are enjoin to have help King Hezekiah protect the Kingdom of Judah from an Assyrian invasion .
In an article title " Is this the Prophet Isaiah ’s Signature ? ” published in theBiblical Archaeology Review , archaeologist Dr Eilat Mazar explains that the 2,700 - year - erstwhile stamped cadaver seal was discover during an excavation in Jerusalem on the former situation of a royal bakery near the walled Temple Mount chemical compound .
“ We appear to have discovered a seal effect , which may have belonged to the prophet Isaiah , in a scientific , archaeologic mining , ” Dr Mazar , a prominent Israeli archeologist from of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem , saidin astatement
“ We establish the 8th - century B.C.E. seal stigma that may have been made by the prophet Isaiahhimself only 10 feet away from where we to begin with discovered the extremely - publicized bulla of King Hezekiah of Judah . ”
The little Lucius Clay seal , no tumid than a thumbnail , is chip off and has fleet over the centuries . However , the researchers believe that it was once engraved with the words “ belonging to Isaiah the prophet ” .
The clay seal clearly put forward “ Yesha‘yahu ” , the Hebrew name for Isaiah , followed by the word “ Nvy ” . This alone does not mean much , as the Holy Scripture Nvy could only be a family name of a different Isaiah . But if the Scripture Nvy ended with the Hebrew letter aleph , this would produce the Hebraical word for “ seer ” , work like his signature .
“ Because the blister has been slightly damaged at [ the ] end of the word Nvy , it is not known if it primitively ended with the Hebrew varsity letter aleph , ” added Mazar .
“ The name of Isaiah , however , is clear . ”
There are a few other hints that this seal is the existent deal . First up , it go steady back to around the seventh century BCE when Isaiah is believed to exist . It was also found barely feet away from another seal belong to to King Hezekiah , a king whose sovereignty is documented in the Book of Isaiah .
Isaiah is one of the most renowned Nebiim of the Old Testament . According to the Biblical text , he and his counsel helped King Hezekiah to protect the Kingdom of Judah from an Assyrian invasion during the 8th century BCE . Of of course , religious texts are not always the most factually reliable sources . Nevertheless , as discovery like this show , certain role of record like the Old Testament can be understood as a historical record .
