The Israeli Antiquities Authority touts the value of a stone ring from the era of the First Temple, roughly the 7th or 8th BCE. (Video: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.) Archaeologists in the City of David National Park in Israel have discovered a rare stone seal from the first temple period – one of the oldest finds since the start of excavations in the country, affirming the biblical role of Jerusalem 2,700 years ago.
"The seal, made of black stone, is one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem , and is executed at the highest artistic level," Dr. Yuval Baruch and Navot Rom, excavation directors, said in a press release. Baruch touted the piece as evidence of reading and writing abilities on a wider scale than previously thought during the period.
"Contrary to what may be commonly thought, it seems that literacy in this period was not the realm only of society’s elite," Baruch argued. "People knew how to read and write – at least at the basic level, for the needs of commerce." ISRAEL OPENS TOMBS FROM ANCIENT ROME TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME: ‘WONDERFUL PAINTINGS’ On the seal, which was uncovered in the Israel Antiquities Authority excavations near the Western Wall and the City of David, appears a winged figure and a Hebrew name inscribed in the paleo-Hebrew script.
(Eliyahu Yanai, City of David) "The figure of a winged man in a distinct Neo-Assyrian style is unique and very rare in the glyphic styles of the late F.