A Royal Seal Impression From Jerusalem
The Hezekiah bulla is a small clay seal impression bearing the inscription usually read as ‘Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah.’ Bullae were used to seal documents and goods and thus function as direct traces of administrative practice.
Context of Discovery and Dating
Recovered in stratified contexts in the City of David area and dated paleographically to the late 8th century BCE, the bulla provides material evidence for named Judahite rulers and administrative routines when combined with other finds.
Why the Bulla Matters
The Hezekiah bulla exemplifies how epigraphic artifacts anchor textual traditions to administrative realities, strengthening reconstructions of state formation and governance in Judah.
Sources
City of David reports; epigraphic corpora
City of David bullae publications
Other Information About Hezekiah Bulla
Rollston C.; Puech A.; Mazar A. (2007). Archaeology of the Land of the Bible.