Press Release

October 30, 2008

A Rare Hebrew Seal from the First Temple Period was Discovered
in Archaeological Excavations in the Western Wall Plaza,
West of the Temple Mount
Israel Antiquities Authority
www.israntique.org.il

An image of a warrior shooting an arrow is depicted on the seal, which
belonged to a Hebrew person by the name of Hagab. The owner of the seal
probably held a military position, possibly that of army commander of the
Kingdom of Judah.

The seal, which was discovered in the excavations that are being conducted
by the Israel Antiquities Authority, at the behest of the Western Wall
Heritage Foundation, will be presented to the public today (Thursday) at a
joint study day of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem.

In archaeological excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority is carrying
out at the behest of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, in the
northwestern part of the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem, a rare and
impressive Hebrew seal was discovered that dates to the latter part of the
First Temple period. The seal was found in a building that is currently
being uncovered, which dates to the seventh century BCE - to the time when
the kings Manasseh and Josiah reigned.

The seal will be shown today (Thursday, October 30, 2008) during a study day
dealing with "Innovations in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its
Surroundings", organized by the Jerusalem Region of the Israel Antiquities
Authority and the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem.

According to the excavation director, archaeologist Shlomit Wexler-Bdolah of
the IAA, "The seal, which apparently belonged to a private individual, is
made of black stone, is elliptical in shape and measures 1.2 x 1.4 cm. It is
adorned with an engraved decoration of an archer shooting a bow and arrow.
The name of the archer is engraved in ancient Hebrew script next to him and
reads LHGB (meaning: for Hagab). The name Hagab is mentioned in the Bible in
Ezra 2:46, as well as in the Lachish Letters, which also date to the time of
the First Temple".

The seal was sent for expert evaluation to Professor Benjamin Sass of the
Tel Aviv University and Dr. Tali Ornan of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem. According to them the image of the archer was influenced by
Assyrian wall reliefs in which archers are portrayed shooting bows and
arrows - such as those that are known from the Lachish relief. The image of
the archer appears in profile: he is standing in a firing position with his
right foot in front of his left. His face is portrayed schematically but his
body, his dress and especially the muscles of his arms and legs stand out
prominently. He is barefoot. His attire includes a headband and a skirt that
is wrapped around his hips. A quiver hangs from his back and its straps are
drawn tightly across his exposed chest. He is holding a bow and arrow in his
hands. His right hand is extended forward holding the bow while his left is
pulled back grasping the arrow. The seal is quite unique since this is the
first time that a private seal has been discovered that bears a Hebrew name
and is decorated in the Assyrian style. The seal attests to the strong
Assyrian influence that existed in Jerusalem in the seventh century BCE. It
is usually assumed that the owner of private seals were individuals who held
government positions. We can suggest that the owner of the seal - Hagab, who
chose to portray himself as a Hebrew archer depicted in the Assyrian style -
served in a senior military role in Judah.

In the building where Hagab's seal was discovered, archaeologist
Wexler-Bdolah has previously found a number of Hebrew seals of individuals
that held public positions, as well as ten handles of storage jars for oil
and wine that are stamped with royal impressions. According to her, "This
building was erected at the foot of the Upper City, at a distance of about
one hundred meters from the Western Wall and it looks out over the Temple
Mount. The walls of the structure were preserved to an amazing height of
approximately five meters. The high quality of its construction and the
artifacts that were discovered inside it indicate that the building and
especially its inhabitants had a very important status in Jerusalem at the
end of the First Temple period."

Pictures can be downloaded from the following link:
www.antiquities.org.il/about_eng.asp?Modul_id=14
The reference for downloading pictures can be found toward the end of the
press release.

Picture of the seal. Photographic credit: Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities
Authority
Picture of the seventh century BCE building that was exposed in which the
seal was found. Photographic credit: courtesy of the Israel Antiquities
Authority.