Archaeology - Proving the Truth of Scripture - Part 7

Hezekiah’s Bulla

During excavations in Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered a tiny clay seal impression, known as a bulla, dating to the First Temple period. But it’s what was written on it that makes the discovery extraordinary. The writing declares, “Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz, king of Judah.” That is the same King Hezekiah described extensively in 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32, and Isaiah 36-39. The seal was discovered in 2010 during controlled archaeological excavations in Jerusalem’s Ophel area and dates to around the late eighth century B.C., the period associated with Hezekiah’s reign. Written in ancient Hebrew script, it also bears a winged sun-disk design. These small clay impressions were used to seal documents, providing evidence of the royal administrative system operating in Judah during this period.

The discovery doesn’t prove every biblical account involving Hezekiah. But it does provide remarkable archaeological evidence for the historical king himself: his name, his father Ahaz, his royal title, the correct location, and the appropriate historical period all correspond with the biblical setting. Nearly 2,700 years later, a tiny piece of clay bearing the name of a king described in Scripture was uncovered in Jerusalem. Archaeology always gives us clear proof of what the Bible declared to be true.