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.