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July 31, 2008
The Seal of Gedalyahu ben Pashur
I noticed it first at MU-PÀD-DA where Jay told of the in context discovery of "a bulla containing the seal Gedalyahu (Gedaliah) ben Pashur, minister to Zedekiah of Judah (cf. Jer 38.1-6)." I'm sure other bloggers have picked it up by now. Eilat Mazar found the bulla in the City of David. The Jerusalem Post has the story.
I'd like to know if it actually says "son of Pashur." I sure wish the article gave the exact language of the seal. I wonder how much this one resembles one of the other two mentioned by Lawrence Mykytiuk in Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200-539, 235. One of these reads, "Belonging to Gedalyahu, overseer of the palace." It was found in archaeological context at tel ed-Duweir. The other, from the antiquities market, reads, "Belonging to Gedalyahu, the king's minister." Mykytiuk disqualified the first bulla as referring to biblical Gedalliah governor of Judah, son of Ahikam mentioned in 2 Kings 25:22ff because it "is from the middle of the 7th" century (?) BCE. But he thought both these bullae might instead refer to biblical Gedalyahu son of Pashur. But Mykytiuk said both identifications were "doubtful." Mykytiuk may need to revise his judgment in the light of this new bulla which was found near the earlier discovery of a bulla of Yehukhal ben Shelemyahu. Jeremiah 37:1 mentions them both together.
Does this prove the Hebrew Bible in some way? No, not in the way that some might hope. It does seem to confirm that a person named Gedalyahu likely lived at about the time the Hebrew Bible indicates that he did and that he may have had something like the role the Hebrew Bible says he had. But this says nothing about the theological claims of the Hebrew Bible and that is what those who look for such proofs are after. Aside from the excitement that this kind of find naturally engenders, there is little real surprise here. No one should be surprised that there are genuine remembrances in accounts that are loosely (or perhaps, not so loosely) organized around what we moderns see as a historical narrative.
Update: I see that Jim West has posted a picture of the seal impression. I'm not sure where he got it. And it does look like it reads, "son of Pashur." Also see Lawrence Mykytiuk's lengthy and informative comments.
It reads,
l gdlyhw
bn p(?)šḥwr
So aside from the concerns for the letter following the n in bn there is little doubt. But do take a look at Mykytiuk's comments on Jim's post.
Posted by Duane Smith at July 31, 2008 7:04 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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Comments
Good stuff!
Posted by: Jim Getz at August 1, 2008 7:57 AM
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