Near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is found a rare and unusual stone seal dating from the First Temple period about 2,700 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority reported, as quoted by the Israeli news agency TPS and BTA.
Israeli Minister of Cultural Heritage, Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, called the find “impressive”. The seal “demonstrates the importance and centrality of Jerusalem as early as 2,700 years ago. It is impossible not to be moved by such an unadulterated and direct encounter with a chapter of our past, a time when the First Temple stood in all its glory,” he said.
The central image of the seal is a profile figure, probably a king. The figure has wings and is wearing a long, striped robe. He has long curls and a crown or hat, walks confidently to the right, one hand raised as if holding an invisible object.
The seal, engraved with a mirror inscription on a black stone, was used by its owner both as a personal amulet and as an instrument for signing documents, a practice common among high officials during the Judean kingdom. The object is designed with a convex cut on both sides and a hole punched along its length, allowing it to be attached to a chain and worn around the neck.
Dr Philip Vukosavovich, an archaeologist and Assyriologist from the Office of Antiquities, said this was the first discovery of a winged “jinn” - a protective magical figure - in Israeli and regional archaeology. Such figures are known from Neo-Assyrian art from the 9th to 7th centuries BC, where they were considered protective demons.
„This is an extremely rare and unusual discovery,” says Vukosavovic.
Dr. Yuval Baruch, one of the leaders of the excavation, added: “The figure of a winged man in a distinctly Neo-Assyrian style is unique and very rare in the graphic styles of the late First Temple period. The influence of the Assyrian Empire, which conquered the entire region, is clearly visible here.“
The stone was found in an archaeological garden under the southern wall of the Temple Mount, where the City of David was located.
The City of David is the original core of the ancient biblical city. Located right next to the southern walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, it is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. It is where King David established his capital and is the site of many key biblical events. It is best known for Hezekiah's Tunnel, which was built by King Hezekiah to provide water to the city before the Assyrian siege led by Sennacherib.