The Temple Mount Sifting Project (TMSP) has announced the discovery of a clay bulla (seal impression) bearing an inscription with a biblical name. The bulla dates paleographically to the seventh or sixth century BC and reads, “Belonging to Yed[a‛]yah, (son of) Asayahu.” A man named Asaiah (ie. Asayahu) who served King Josiah is mentioned in two places in the Bible (2 Kgs 22:12; 2 Chr 34:20). The name on the bulla is the same as the one in the Bible, though on the bulla it appears in its longer form; the shorter (Asaya or Asaiah) and longer (Asayahu) versions were used interchangeably in antiquity. The name Asayahu is also attested on another bulla that surfaced about 20 years ago, accompanied by the words “servant of the king.” However, because that bulla appeared on the antiquities market, its authenticity remains uncertain. The bulla discovered by the TMSP comes from an archaeological context, albeit one that had been disturbed. The TMSP has been sifting through thousands of tons of soil removed from the Temple Mount in 1999 and dumped in the Kidron Valley. While it is impossible to conclusively state that the TMSP bulla refers to the official who served in King Josiah’s court in the late seventh century BC, the artifact does confirm that the name was in use at that time.
Source:
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/tiny-2600-year-old-clay-sealing-inscribed-with-biblical-name-found-in-temple-mount-soil/
