(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

A unique and significant discovery was made during archaeological works in the Kosel Plaza, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and in association with the Kosel Heritage Foundation: A stamped piece of clay from the Bayis Rishon period, which belonged to the “governor of the city” of Jerusalem – the most prominent local position to be held in Jerusalem of 2700 years ago.

This extraordinary find is a lump of clay, stamped and pre-fired. It measures 13 X 15 mm and is 2–3 mm thick. The upper part of the sealing depicts two figures facing each other, and the lower part holds an inscription in ancient Hebrew script. The sealing was presented to the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, during his visit to Davidson’s Center, near the Kosel, last week. After the completion of the scientific research, the sealing will be on temporary exhibit in the mayor’s office.

The sealing, its use unknown, was retrieved by Shimon Cohen while wet-sieving the soil from a late Bayis Rishon -period building (seventh-sixth centuries BCE).

Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, excavator of the site located in the northwestern part of the Kosel Plaza, on behalf of the IAA, believes that “the sealing had been attached to an important transport and served as some sort of logo, or as a tiny souvenir, which was sent on behalf of the governor of the city.”

Dr. Weksler-Bdolah further suggests that “it is likely that one of the buildings in our excavation was the destination of this transport sent by the city governor. The finding of the sealing with this high-rank title, in addition to the large assemblage of actual seals found in the building in the past, supports the assumption that this area, located on the western slopes of the western hill of ancient Jerusalem, some 100 m west of Har Habayis, was inhabited by highly ranked officials during the Bayis Rishon period.”

According to Dr. Weksler-Bdolah “this is the first time that such a sealing is found in an authorized excavation. It supports the biblical rendering of the existence of a governor of the city in Jerusalem 2700 years ago.”

Prof. Tallay Ornan of the Hebrew University, and Prof. Benjamin Sass of Tel Aviv University, studied the sealing and describe it thus: “above a double line are two standing men, facing each other in a mirror-like manner. Their heads are depicted as large dots, lacking any details. The hands facing outward are dropped down, and the hands facing inward are raised Each of the figures is wearing a striped, knee-length garment. In the register beneath the double line is an inscription in ancient Hebrew: לשרער, with no spacing between the words and no definite article. It denotes לשר העיר, i.e., “belonging to the governor of the city.”

Prof. Ornan and Prof. Sass add, that “the title ‘governor of the city’ is known from the Bible and from extra-biblical documents, referring to an official appointed by the king. Governors of Jerusalem are mentioned twice in the Bible: in 2 Kings, Joshua is the governor of the city in the days of Hezekiah, and in 2 Chronicles, Maaseiah is the governor of the city in the days of Josiah.

Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, when the find was presented to him related that “it is very overwhelming to receive greetings from First Temple-period Jerusalem. This shows that already 2700 years ago, Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was a strong and central city. Jerusalem is one of the most ancient capitals of the world, continually populated by the Jewish people for more than 3000 years. Today we have the privilege to encounter another one of the long chain of persons and leaders that built and developed the city. We are grateful to be living in a city with such a magnificent past, and are obligated to ensure its strength for generations to come, as we daily do.”

According to Dr. Yuval Baruch, archaeologist of the Jerusalem District in the IAA: “the outstanding significance of the finds brought upon the decision to conserve the First Temple-period building exposed in the Western Wall plaza excavations and open it to visitors”.

Conservation work at the site, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was carried out by Yossi Vaknin and Haim Makuriya.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)