Overview

• The Temple Mount Sifting Project unearthed a clay bulla in Jerusalem stamped “Belonging to Yeda’yah (son of Asayahu),” marking one of the few seals bearing a full biblical name.
• Epigraphic analysis dates the seal to the late 7th or early 6th century BC, placing it in the reign of King Josiah when major religious reforms reshaped Judah.
• A distinct fingerprint preserved on the clay offers a direct physical link to the official who once used the seal for authentication.
• Impressions on the reverse confirm the bulla served as a closure for a bag or storage vessel, illustrating administrative controls in ancient Judah.
• Researchers have harnessed Reflectance Transformation Imaging to confirm the inscription and are preparing a peer-review paper detailing their methods and findings.