Biblical King Hezekiah Official Seal Found in Ancient Trash Dump - 2,700-year-old... (video)

[John Lindsay Barltrop]

"...........at times, some of these finds do clearly back up Bible accounts."

Further on that point it is of interest what the publication, "The Bible - God's Word or Mans" had to say on archaeology:........ "The New Encyclopædia Britannica answers: “Archaeological criticism has tended to substantiate the reliability of the typical historical details of even the oldest periods [of Bible history] and to discount the theory that the Pentateuchal accounts [the historical records in the earliest books of the Bible] are merely the reflection of a much later period.”........

A couple of paragraphs later, the following appears:........... "Archaeology is a much more solidly based field of study than higher criticism. Archaeologists, by digging among the remains of past civilizations, have in many ways increased our understanding of the way things were in ancient times. Hence, it is not surprising that the archaeological record repeatedly harmonizes with what we read in the Bible. Sometimes, archaeology has even vindicated the Bible against its critics."..........

The same publication, later had this to say:......... "This illustrates the fact that archaeologists often differ among themselves. It is not, then, surprising that some disagree with the Bible while others agree with it. Nevertheless, some scholars are coming to respect the historicity of the Bible in general, if not in every detail."...........

...........of course that is why we must rely on God's Word for our faith and hope for the future.


 

[Ann O'Maly]

17 hours ago, John Lindsay Barltrop said:

I read an article on Sodom and Gomorrah........I do not have the exact quote, but, the gist of one part of the article was.........that the Bible did not supply any details of the prevalence of homosexuality within those cities..........my question would be "What Bible was the archaeologist(s) reading?"...........certainly not the Word of God.

It would've been nice to know the wording and context. Perhaps the writer was thinking that Sodom was the city (singular - not Gomorrah) that had the mob. But it doesn't say how extensive the mob was. We are also told that Sodom was a wicked city, but was homosexuality the only thing that made it wicked, or was it corrupt in other ways? That's what I'm wondering. If you come across the article again, please post a link as I'd like to read it.

17 hours ago, John Lindsay Barltrop said:

Always be wary of reports of this nature........our faith is not based on archaeological finds, our faith is based on what is contained in God's Word, even though, at times, some of these finds do clearly back up Bible accounts.

It could well be that more information comes to light about Hezekiah's bullae and the reason for symbol choices.

But your comments prompt some musings:

Is it a case of only believing archaeological finds that harmonize with our interpretations/ understandings of Bible accounts while rejecting those finds that don't?

Are you thinking that the bullae might be fakes?

Also, if our confidence in the Bible isn't backed up by historical evidences, then couldn't it be argued that we might as well have faith in Aesop's fables?

 

[Queen Esther]

@John Lindsay Barltrop  and  @Ann O'Maly  Thanks  for  your  interesting  comments !

[John Lindsay Barltrop]

@Ann O'maly.I would just like to mention a couple of points concerning Sodom, Gomorrah, and surrounding cities.

(Luke 17:29, 30) ²⁹ But on the day that Lot went out of Sodʹom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ It will be the same on that day when the Son of man is revealed.
This sets the scene and if we read Genesis 13:18 we see that it was the whole district, with all its cities were destroyed by Jehovah.

Why?

(Jude 6, 7)⁶ And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day. ⁷ In the same manner, Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah and the cities around them also gave themselves over to gross sexual immorality and pursued unnatural fleshly desires; they are placed before us as a warning example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire.................Just like the world today.         
(2 Peter 2:4-7) ⁴ Certainly God did not refrain from punishing the angels who sinned, but threw them into Tarʹta·rus, putting them in chains of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment. ⁵ And he did not refrain from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a flood upon a world of ungodly people. ⁶ And by reducing the cities of Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah to ashes, he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly people of things to come. ⁷ And he rescued righteous Lot, who was greatly distressed by the brazen conduct of the lawless people. (This lawlessness is peoples disdain for Jehovah's laws............the earth is also filled with violence and sexual depravity)
 

just one other point on your last: "Also, if our confidence in the Bible isn't backed up by historical evidences, then couldn't it be argued that we might as well have faith in Aesop's fables?"................ I personally, find a distinct difference between historical accounts and and archaeological findings................However, at the risk of being repetitious, we do have to be careful as to what archaeologists and historians have to say on the Bible..........their points of view are from an imperfect human standpoint, whereas God's Word is Jehovah's viewpoint, and that is where our faith should come from, from within the pages of the Bible.

 

[Ann O'Maly]

14 hours ago, John Lindsay Barltrop said:

However, at the risk of being repetitious, we do have to be careful as to what archaeologists and historians have to say on the Bible..........their points of view are from an imperfect human standpoint, whereas God's Word is Jehovah's viewpoint, and that is where our faith should come from, from within the pages of the Bible.

Man's interpretations and understandings of Bible accounts are likewise imperfect. So, we have a Bible account about good king Hezekiah and the events in his life, and we have seals with his name and some Egyptian symbols on them. The puzzle about those symbols arises due an assumption that Hezekiah did not form an alliance with Egypt when both the Bible and the seals suggest otherwise.

[Susan Ramirez]

Dear Ann,

Please check out this info on JW.org. It appears that Hezekiah did not make an alliance with Egypt. If you can find something else that confirms he did, please post it here. Thanks 

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/21655

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/195

Dear Queen Esther,

I always enjoy your contributions and pictures of our brothers around the world. It helps me to see that we are all united and doing the same work to Jehovah's praise. Thank You!

The author or presenter of the video in question however, is not one of our brothers and so we should be very cautious. Newer ones or weaker ones might be tempted to check out additional videos on their site. Since they are not worshipers of the only true God Jehovah, this might undermine their faith. The governing body is very careful to do their due diligence on any outside information they quote from in the publications and that would be the best example to follow. I hope you agree...

[Ann O'Maly]

22 hours ago, Susan Ramirez said:

Please check out this info on JW.org. It appears that Hezekiah did not make an alliance with Egypt. If you can find something else that confirms he did, please post it here. Thanks 

Hi Susan. I'll refer you to my reasoning here: 

http://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/topic/28985-biblical-king-hezekiah-official-seal-found-in-ancient-trash-dump-2700-year-old-video/?do=findComment&comment=37449

We have the seals with Hezekiah's name and Egyptian symbols on which are suggestive. We have Rabshakeh in the Bible who used Judah's alliance with Egypt (as well as Judah's trust in YHWH) as part of his psychological manipulation to argue that both supports were useless. It would have been ineffective to use an argument intended to reduce the enemy to jelly-kneed submission based upon bad intel. And nobody contradicted him. There's nothing in the text to indicate Hezekiah had not formed an alliance. Thus, the evidence is weighted to the 'alliance' side.

Or can you provide evidence that he did not?

 

[Susan Ramirez]

Hello Ann,

I was not there, so I can't say what happened for sure. I guess we will have to wait for the resurrection and then we can ask King Hezekiah himself. Right?

In the meantime, we can only rely on the information that the governing body has provided for us.

I cut and pasted directly from JW ONLINE LIBRARY. I did highlight some of the pertinent information.

W 10 7/15 pp. 12-15 

"'Rabshakeh told Hezekiah’s representatives: “This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, has said: ‘What is this confidence in which you have trusted? . . . Look! you have put your trust in the support of this crushed reed, Egypt, which, if a man should brace himself upon it, would certainly enter into his palm and pierce it.’” (2 Ki. 18:19, 21) Rabshakeh’s accusation was false, for Hezekiah had not made an alliance with Egypt. Still, the accusation emphasized what Rabshakeh wanted the Jews to remember clearly: ‘No one will come to your aid. You are on your own—isolated.’"

Also, remember that Eliakim, Shebna and Joah were told not to reply to the Rabshekah at all. "But they kept silent and did not say a word to him in reply, for the order of the king was, “You must not answer him.” But E·liʹa·kim son of Hil·kiʹah, who was in charge of the household, Shebʹna the secretary, and Joʹah son of Aʹsaph the recorder came to Hez·e·kiʹah with their garments ripped apart and told him the words of the Rabʹsha·keh. (2 Ki. 36:21, 22) So perhaps that is why his claims were not refuted."

it-2 893-895 Sennacherib

SENNACHERIB

"(Sen·nachʹer·ib) [from Akkadian, meaning “Sin [the moon-god] Has Restored the Brothers to Me”].

Son of Sargon II; king of Assyria. He inherited from his father an empire of great strength but was obliged to spend most of his reign subduing revolts, particularly as regards the city of Babylon.

Sennacherib appears to have been serving as a governor or general in the northern region of Assyria during his father’s reign. After his succession to the throne, this region evidently caused him little trouble, his difficulties coming chiefly from the S and the W. The Chaldean Merodach-baladan (Isa 39:1) abandoned his refuge in Elam, into which Sennacherib’s father Sargon had driven him, and now proclaimed himself king of Babylon. Sennacherib marched against him and his Elamite allies, defeating them at Kish. Merodach-baladan, however, escaped, going into hiding for another three years. Sennacherib entered Babylon and set Bel-ibni on the throne as viceroy. Other punitive expeditions were thereafter effected to keep in check the peoples in the hill countries surrounding Assyria.

Then, in what Sennacherib refers to as his “third campaign,” he moved against “Hatti,” a term evidently referring at that time to Phoenicia and Palestine. (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. Pritchard, 1974, p. 287) This area was in a state of general rebellion against the Assyrian yoke. Among those who had rejected such domination was King Hezekiah of Judah (2Ki 18:7), though there is no evidence to show that he was in coalition with the other kingdoms in revolt. 

In Hezekiah’s 14th year (732 B.C.E.) Sennacherib’s forces swept westward, capturing Sidon, Achzib, Acco, and other cities on the Phoenician coast, and then they headed south. Frightened kingdoms, including those of Moab, Edom, and Ashdod, are listed as now sending out tribute to express submission. Recalcitrant Ashkelon was taken by force along with the nearby towns of Joppa and Beth-dagon. An Assyrian inscription accuses the people and nobles of the Philistine city of Ekron of having handed their king Padi over to Hezekiah, who, according to Sennacherib, “held him in prison, unlawfully.” (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, p. 287; compare 2Ki 18:8.) The inhabitants of Ekron are described as having petitioned Egypt and Ethiopia for help to stave off or thwart the Assyrian attack."  (See Ekron below)

"The Bible record indicates that at about this point Sennacherib attacked Judah, laying siege to and capturing many of its fortified cities and towns. Hezekiah now sent word to the Assyrian at Lachish offering to pay the sum of tribute Sennacherib might impose. (2Ki 18:13, 14) Sennacherib’s capture of Lachish is presented in a frieze showing him seated on a throne before the vanquished city, accepting the spoils of that city brought to him while some of the captives are being tortured.

The Bible account does not indicate whether King Padi, if in reality a captive of Hezekiah, was now released, but it does show that Hezekiah paid the tribute demanded by Sennacherib of 300 silver talents (c. $1,982,000) and 30 gold talents (c. $11,560,000). (2Ki 18:14-16) Now, however, Sennacherib sent a committee of three officers to call upon the king and people of Jerusalem to make a capitulation to him and, eventually, submit to being sent off into exile. The Assyrian message was particularly disdainful of Hezekiah’s reliance on Jehovah. Through his spokesman, Sennacherib boasted that Jehovah would prove to be as impotent as were the gods of the lands that had already fallen before the Assyrian might.—2Ki 18:17-35.

The Assyrian committee returned to Sennacherib, who was now fighting against Libnah, as it was being heard “respecting Tirhakah the king of Ethiopia: ‘Here he has come out to fight against you.’” (2Ki 19:8, 9) Sennacherib’s inscriptions speak of a battle at Eltekeh (c. 15 km [9.5 mi] NNW of Ekron) in which he claims to have defeated an Egyptian army and the forces of “the king of Ethiopia.” He then describes his conquest of Ekron and his restoration of the freed Padi to the throne there.—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, pp. 287, 288.

Jehovah Defeats Sennacherib’s Army. As for Jerusalem, though Sennacherib sent threatening letters warning Hezekiah that he had not desisted from his determination to take the Judean capital (Isa 37:9-20), the record shows that the Assyrians did not so much as “shoot an arrow there, . . . nor cast up a siege rampart against it.” Jehovah, whom Sennacherib had taunted, sent out an angel who, in one night, struck down “a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians,” sending Sennacherib back “with shame of face to his own land.”—Isa 37:33-37; 2Ch 32:21.

Sennacherib’s inscriptions make no mention of the disaster suffered by his forces. But, as Professor Jack Finegan comments: “In view of the general note of boasting which pervades the inscriptions of the Assyrian kings, . . . it is hardly to be expected that Sennacherib would record such a defeat.” (Light From the Ancient Past, 1959, p. 213) It is interesting, nevertheless, to note the version that Sennacherib presents of the matter, as found inscribed on what is known as the Sennacherib Prism preserved in the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. In part he says: “As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in their vicinity, and conquered (them) by means of well-stamped (earth-)ramps, and battering-rams brought (thus) near (to the walls) (combined with) the attack by foot soldiers, (using) mines, breaches as well as sapper work. I drove out (of them) 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considered (them) booty. Himself [Hezekiah] I made a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage. . . . His towns which I had plundered, I took away from his country and gave them (over) to Mitinti, king of Ashdod, Padi, king of Ekron, and Sillibel, king of Gaza. . . . Hezekiah himself . . . did send me, later, to Nineveh, my lordly city, together with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, precious stones, antimony, large cuts of red stone, couches (inlaid) with ivory, nimedu -chairs (inlaid) with ivory, elephant-hides, ebony-wood, boxwood (and) all kinds of valuable treasures, his (own) daughters, concubines, male and female musicians. In order to deliver the tribute and to do obeisance as a slave he sent his (personal) messenger.”—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, p. 288.

This boastful version inflates the number of silver talents sent from 300 to 800, and doubtless it does so with other details of the tribute paid; but in other regards it remarkably confirms the Bible record and shows that Sennacherib made no claim that he captured Jerusalem. It should be noted, however, that Sennacherib presents the matter of Hezekiah’s paying tribute as having come after the Assyrian’s threat of a siege against Jerusalem, whereas the Bible account shows it was paid before. As to the likely reason for this inversion of matters, note the observation made in Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Bible Dictionary (1936, p. 829): “The close of this campaign of S[ennacherib] is veiled in obscurity. What he did after the capture of Ekron . . . is still a mystery. In his annals, S[ennacherib] locates at this point his punishment of Hezekiah, his raiding of the country of Judah, and his disposition of the territory and cities of Judah. This order of events looks like a screen to cover up something which he does not wish to mention.” The Bible record shows that Sennacherib hurried back to Nineveh after the divinely wrought disaster to his troops, and so Sennacherib’s inverted account conveniently has Hezekiah’s tribute being paid to him through a special messenger at Nineveh. It is certainly significant that ancient inscriptions and records show no further campaign by Sennacherib to Palestine, although historians claim that his reign continued for another 20 years.

The Jewish historian of the first century C.E., Josephus, claims to quote the Babylonian Berossus (considered to be of the third century B.C.E.) as recording the event thus: “When Senacheirimos returned to Jerusalem from his war with Egypt, he found there the force under Rapsakes in danger from a plague, for God had visited a pestilential sickness upon his army, and on the first night of the siege one hundred and eighty-five thousand men had perished with their commanders and officers.” (Jewish Antiquities, X, 21 [i, 5]) Some commentators attempt to explain the disaster by referring to an account written by Herodotus (II, 141) in the fifth century B.C.E. in which he claims that “one night a multitude of fieldmice swarmed over the Assyrian camp and devoured their quivers and their bows and the handles of their shields,” thus leaving them unable to carry out an invasion of Egypt. This account obviously does not coincide with the Biblical record, nor does Herodotus’ description of the Assyrian campaign harmonize with the Assyrian inscriptions. Nevertheless, the accounts by Berossus and Herodotus do reflect the fact that Sennacherib’s forces met up with sudden and calamitous difficulty in this campaign.

Sennacherib’s troubles had not ended, however, and following his return to Assyria he had to quell another revolt in Babylon, provoked by Merodach-baladan. This time Sennacherib placed his own son, Ashurnadinshumi, as king in Babylon. Six years later Sennacherib embarked on a campaign against the Elamites, but they soon retaliated by invading Mesopotamia. They captured Ashurnadinshumi and placed their own king on the throne of Babylon. Several years of struggle for control of the region followed, until finally the enraged Sennacherib took vengeance on Babylon by leveling it to the ground, an unparalleled act in view of Babylon’s position as the “Holy City” of all Mesopotamia. The remaining years of Sennacherib’s reign were apparently without major incident.

Sennacherib’s death is considered to have come some 20 years after his campaign against Jerusalem. This figure is dependent on Assyrian and Babylonian records, their reliability being subject to question. At any rate, it should be noted that the Bible account does not state that Sennacherib’s death occurred immediately upon his return to Nineveh. “Later on he entered the house of his god” Nisroch, and his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, “struck him down with the sword,” escaping to the land of Ararat. (2Ch 32:21;Isa 37:37, 38) An inscription of his son and successor, Esar-haddon, confirms this.—Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia, by D. Luckenbill, 1927, Vol. II, pp. 200, 201; see ESAR-HADDON."

it-1 pp. 700-701 Ekron

EKRON

"(Ekʹron).

A leading Philistine city, apparently the northernmost seat of one of their five axis lords. (Jos 13:3) Its exact position is uncertain, but it is generally identified with Khirbet el-Muqannaʽ (Tel Miqne), about 18 km (11 mi) E of Ashdod. Recent excavation there has unearthed the largest city of its period and gives it current preference as the site of Ekron.

Ekron’s history is one of constantly changing domination. Joshua’s conquest did not include Ekron. It was not until later that the Judeans captured it. (Jos 13:2, 3; Jg 1:18) In the initial division of the Promised Land, Ekron was on the border between Judah and Dan but within the tribe of Judah. (Jos 15:1, 11, 45, 46; 19:40-43) By the time the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant, Ekron was back in their possession. The presence of the Ark caused “a death-dealing confusion” to break out in this city, and it was from Ekron that the Ark was finally sent back to the Jews. (1Sa 5:10-12; 6:16, 17) After another period under Israelite control, the Philistines apparently again had Ekron at the time David slew Goliath. (1Sa 7:14; 17:52) It was in the early tenth century B.C.E. that Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt claimed to have taken Ekron. Some two centuries later, according to Sennacherib’s annals, Ekron’s King Padi was loyal to the Assyrians."

[Queen Esther]

@Susan Ramirez  I  agree  with  you  my  sister !  Your  idea  is  very  right-minded...  to wait  for  the  resurrection  and  then  we  can  ask  King  Hezekiah  himself !   Many  here  have  daily  SO  many  questions  or  conjectures,  thats  humanly,  but  we  can't  find  a  clear, true  answer  of  all  that  about  the  far  old  time,  thats  normal. We  must  try  patience,  waiting  of  the  future  or  new  light...  Later,  we  get  of  sure  our  many  true  answers !   Thanks  for  your  good  comments !  Agape  and  greetings  from  Germany !

[Bonny Sanders]

On 1/21/2017 at 1:19 PM, Ann O'Maly said:

Could it be that Hezekiah did actually form an alliance with Egypt and those symbols were a declaration of this? 

Yes, Isaiah warned about making an alliance with Egypt, but apparently Hezekiah did anyway. And Rabshakeh wasn't contradicted when he talked about Judah's trust in Egypt ... just like he wasn't contradicted when he talked of Judah's trust in YHWH ... because both those statements were true. 

And before anyone says, 'Oh but Hezekiah was a good king who only relied on God so he wouldn't have formed political alliances,' it's worth considering that other good kings formed political alliances with their neighboring lands - good king Solomon with Egypt (by marrying Pharaoh's daughter; note 1 Ki. 3:3); good king Jehoshaphat with wicked Ahab and Ahaziah (2 Chron. 18:1-3; 20:34-37 but cp. v. 32).

Also look at Josiah. He was a much-loved king who restored 'true worship.' He didn't make an alliance but he meddled in a political situation, i.e. he tried to prevent Pharaoh Necho and his army joining with the remaining Assyrians against the new Babylonian empire to get Harran back. Maybe he thought he was acting in line with God's purpose ('why is Egypt helping those evil Assyrians who have oppressed our people for so long?'). Whatever Josiah's motives, it was a big error of judgment that cost him his life.

So, good Judahite kings who loved and worshipped YHWH, sometimes got politically involved. Actually, it's kinda naive to think you can be a king ruling a kingdom or country without being 'political' and cutting deals with the surrounding kingdoms or countries.

If anyone is a little wary of the OP video, here is an article from the Biblical Archaeology site. 

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/king-hezekiah-in-the-bible-royal-seal-of-hezekiah-comes-to-light/

I'm sure the name Dr. Eilat Mazar will already be familiar to many of you. 

 

To the person who suggests Hezekiah could have compromised with Egypt, this is what the 2005 Watchtower says on the subject:

18:19-21, 25—Had Hezekiah made an alliance with Egypt? No. Rabshakeh’s accusation was false, as was his claim to have come with “authorization from Jehovah.” Faithful King Hezekiah relied solely on Jehovah.
 

We might want to do research before we reply.

[Fmadriaga]

one thing is sure, nobody is 100% sure of anything behind the videos to be true or false... even for the house of Jesus, there are many sites in Jerusalem now that was created by apostate Christians and the fact that we "worship in spirit" will give no weight on those place.

As for the seal, there are many reasons and we can only wait and see as time goes by.  

What we know is sundisk and ankh are pagan symbols, so to throw a sample wild card answer: it may be a seal for a gift to King Hezekiah from Egypt.  who knows, will it matter?

Who knows, someone might find that's its a fraud or whatever.  We will know more in the new system.

We know better now that they did before, that's for sure.  Hence, we can be sure of what is acceptable form of worship for Jah. - IMHO

[Queen Esther]

@Bonny Sanders  Thanks  for  your  comment  and  the  link,  very  good !

@Fmadriaga  Thanks  for  your  good  comment,  thats  my  thinking  too !

I  appreciate  all  your  helping,  idea's  and  own  opinions,  thats  nice ;-)

Again  the  good  link  here...  http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/king-hezekiah-in-the-bible-royal-seal-of-hezekiah-comes-to-light/

THANK  YOU  ALL !