Four Bullas from the City of David

Late 7th–Early 6th Century BCE

[Belonging to Tobshillem/Tobshalem (?)] son of Zakkur the healer.

Belonging to Gemaryahu son of Shaphan.

Belonging to Yehucal ben Shelemyahu son of Shobai.

Belonging to Gedalyahu ben Pashhur.

First two bullas, Translated by Nahman Avigad and Benjamin Sass. Second two bullas, translated by Eilat Mazar.

Notes

[The owner of the seal from which this impression was made must have been a physician. His name is restored from two other impressions found nearby that were made with the seal of a man with the same patronymic, which can be read as “Zakkur” or “Benzakar.”—Eds.]

[This Gemaryahu son of Shaphan may be the scribe of that name mentioned in Jeremiah 36:10.—Eds.]

[The owner of the seal may be Jeremiah’s opponent, Jucal son of Shelemiah, mentioned in Jeremiah 38:1.—Eds.]

[The owner of the seal may be Jeremiah’s opponent Gedaliah son of Pashhur, mentioned in Jeremiah 38:1.—Eds.]

Credits

Four Bullas from the City of David, no. 1, in Nahman Avigad, revised and completed by Benjamin Sass, Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals (Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, The Israel Exploration Society, The Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1997), no. 420, p. 177. Used with permission of the publisher.;Four Bullas from the City of David, no. 3, in Eilat Mazar, “The Wall That Nehemiah Built,” Biblical Archaeology Review, vol. 35, no. 2 (Mar/Apr 2009): pp. 24–28, 30–33, 66. Used with permission of Biblical Archaeology Society.;Four Bullas from the City of David, no. 2, in Nahman Avigad, revised and completed by Benjamin Sass, Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals (Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, The Israel Exploration Society, The Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1997), no. 470, p. 191. Used with permission of the publisher.;Four Bullas from the City of David, no. 4, in Eilat Mazar, “The Wall That Nehemiah Built,” Biblical Archaeology Review, vol. 35, no. 2 (Mar/Apr 2009): pp. 24–28, 30–33, 66. Used with permission of Biblical Archaeology Society.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 1.