323:
554:
83:
570:
562:
31:
172:
577:
Several hundred seal impressions made on the same type of jar handle have been found in the same contexts as the LMLK stamps. Over 50 types have been documented, and most of them have a 2-line inscription divided by two somewhat parallel lines. Some have an icon in addition to the inscription;
139:
As a prepositional prefix, the lāmed (𐤋) has either a genitive or dative function, and the "to" in each of the above readings can also be read as "for" or "of". The other three letters form the word "melech"; as shown above, its translation can refer to a specific king, to any king, or to the
74:. While none of the original seals have been found, some 2,000 impressions made by at least 21 seal types have been published. The iconography of the two and four winged symbols are representative of royal symbols whose meaning "was tailored in each kingdom to the local religion and ideology".
404:
In support of the first two theories are the inscriptions, which can be read as the names of four places; in support of the third theory are the geographic statistics, which do not associate any of the four words to a particular place or region other than the entire southern kingdom of Judah.
513:
when referring to a series such as x4C instead of using an uppercase "G", "H", "M", "S", or "Z" for the first letter designator. Likewise, an "x" can be used for the second letter designator when referring to all seals with the same word, such as H2x in lieu of H2D, H2T, and H2U.
147:, possibly Lachish, under the authority of the king (alluded to in 1 Chronicles 4:23, thus 'lmlk' means 'belonging to the king'), and from there they were sent to each one of the four administrative region indicated by either the name of the town on the jar (these being
505:
Engraving styles indicate at least two, possibly five, people made the seals. The 21 types can be grouped together in five or six sets, but they may have been created or utilized in pairs based on quantities of their impressions found so far.
607:
Hundreds of the handles with the circles have been found, but only a few of the plus, hole, and drag marks. Several LMLK stamps may have had additional inscriptions incised over them containing marks resembling the letters "I V" (hence
191:), some have also been found in the northern kingdom (four sites in the northwest region). Over 2,000 stamped jar handles have been found. The 20 sites where the most specimens have been found are:
533:). This suggests that 12 of the 21 seals were made prior to the attack, and the remaining 9 afterwards. The first significant evidence to support this datum came from the landmark excavations at
1320:
1305:
143:
A number of jars say "lmlk Ziph", "lmlk Hebron", "lmlk Socoh" and "lmlk mmst" (whose identification is unknown). These jars were all manufactured in a single site in the
1290:
1027:, p. 89 ("As the work of the renewed excavations developed it became clear that the destruction of Level III must be assigned to Sennacherib's attack in 701 BCE.").
594:
Concentric circles (usually two—sometimes only one; sometimes applied to unstamped handles but it is uncertain whether they were ever incised on unstamped jars)
621:
994:
612:
incisions"); however, one or more of these handles may just contain stray Drag marks resembling the letters "I V" with no literate semantics intended.
965:
953:
792:
743:
930:
918:
904:
892:
880:
868:
854:
842:
830:
818:
804:
780:
768:
707:
695:
672:
660:
1295:
179:
Though most of these stamped jar handles have been found in the southern kingdom (71 sites in the ancient territory assigned to the tribes of
1123:
1285:
1090:
1253:
337:
517:
Thus far, significant quantities of x4C, x4L, and x2U stamps have been excavated from below the destruction layer caused by the
1209:
340:
in 1870, a diverse assortment of theories has been promulgated to explain their function. Since the landmark excavations at
1228:
Timnah (Tel Batash) II, the Finds from the First
Millennium BCE, Text. Qedem 42, Monographs of the Institute of Archaeology
322:
360:
Military rations collected as an emergency during a short period (several months to a few years at most) preceding the
374:'s reign (either 14 or 26 years depending on chronological interpretations) as a long-term economic buildup until the
1080:
Naʼaman, Nadav. Ancient Israel and Its
Neighbors: Interaction and Counteraction. Vol. 1. Eisenbrauns, 2005, 173-174.
553:
408:
Depending on which of the above theories are preferred, several other aspects of the operation need interpretation:
1300:
392:'s 29-year reign in response to his worship reformation following his accession (completely irrespective of the
82:
624:
to include the name of the renascent state. Five multicolored values (3, 5, 10, 20, and 65-mil denominations;
498:
432:
984:
569:
561:
226:
466:, denotes the Judean government or a specific, divine being (consider its application to the Israelite
479:
1315:
989:
256:
471:
1004:
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
425:
108:
964:
952:
791:
742:
475:
30:
1141:"A New Assemblage of 'Private' Stamped Jar Handles from the Mordot Arnona Excavations, Jerusalem"
510:
436:
412:
The people who performed the stamping were either government officials working directly for King
232:
929:
917:
903:
891:
879:
867:
853:
841:
829:
817:
803:
779:
767:
706:
694:
671:
659:
1310:
1249:
1203:
1119:
184:
63:
405:
Furthermore, approximately 10–20 percent of the excavated jars and jar handles were stamped.
123:
636:. Israel released the stamps on September 26, 1948 in time for the October 4 observance of
999:
345:
332:
195:
188:
538:
244:
180:
352:, the number of feasible explanations has narrowed down to these (all associated with
1279:
1237:
The
Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish (1973 – 1994) Volumes 1 and 4
641:
637:
625:
620:
In 1948, Israel's postal authority chose the Z2U seal design for the first series of
586:
In addition to the seals, which were stamped in the wet clay before being fired in a
1047:
Na'aman, Nadav. "The lmlk seal impressions reconsidered." Tel Aviv 43.1 (2016): 115.
634:
Flying Scroll: "LMLK" Seal
Stamped on the Wine and Oil Jugs Given as Tax to the King
629:
542:
310:
238:
148:
1140:
530:
522:
397:
379:
365:
213:
67:
632:
designed the stamps, which have distinctive tabs written in Hebrew declaring:
48:
stamped on the handles of large storage jars first issued in the reign of King
45:
1188:
1164:
Published in
Ussishkin, "The Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish."
526:
525:, but only a single specimen each of the G2T and M2D stamps (excavated from
286:
207:
171:
53:
1246:
Theology, History, and
Archaeology in the Chronicler's Account of Hezekiah
1114:
Garfinkel, Yosef; Ganor, Saar; Hasel, Michael (2018). Meiron, Eyal (ed.).
348:
during the 1970s, which established the date of the seals to the reign of
17:
413:
389:
371:
353:
349:
304:
49:
640:
5709, the Jewish New Year, and thereby inaugurated its annual series of
600:
Hole marks (resembling the central anchor dot of the concentric circles)
27:
Hebrew seals stamped on the handles of large storage jars (circa 700 BC)
518:
421:
393:
375:
361:
341:
262:
201:
71:
58:
603:
Drag marks (probably attempts to cancel or obliterate the LMLK stamp)
534:
486:
417:
292:
280:
274:
268:
220:
152:
144:
92:
42:
1057:
1239:. Tel Aviv, Israel: Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University.
963:
951:
928:
916:
902:
890:
878:
866:
852:
840:
828:
816:
802:
790:
778:
766:
741:
705:
693:
670:
658:
568:
560:
552:
494:
385:
321:
298:
250:
156:
81:
29:
1263:
Warren, Charles (1870). "Phoenician inscription on jar handles".
1036:
628:
numbers 10-4) were printed in sheets of 300 (six panes of 50).
587:
490:
467:
431:
The icons symbolize either royal stature or a religious nature (
160:
99:
95:
34:
Ancient LMLK jar-handle stamps with modern LMLK postage stamps
652:
Types of LMLK seals according to George M. Grena's typology:
301:(Khirbet Abbad NW of Hebron, not the Sokoh SW of Hebron): 13
1139:
Sapir, Neria; Ben-Ari, Nathan; Koch, Ido; Lipschits, Oded.
1058:"King Seal Artifacts Attest to Hebron's Jewish History"
590:, certain other marks were incised on these jar handles:
370:
Government taxes collected throughout the majority of
52:(circa 700 BC) and discovered mostly in and around
1118:. United Kingdom: Thames and Hudson. p. 174.
1230:. Jerusalem, Israel: The Hebrew University. 2001.
1025:The Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish
578:others are strictly anepigraphic (Vaughn 1999).
509:Researchers frequently use a lowercase "x" as a
501:) record either 4 places or 4 votive statements.
41:(with LMLK meaning 'of the king') are ancient
1321:Israelite and Jewish archaeological artifacts
8:
1306:Cylinder and impression seals in archaeology
557:LMLK seal (Hebron). Israel Museum, Jerusalem
654:
995:List of artifacts significant to the Bible
259:(northwest suburb of modern Jerusalem): 24
597:Plus marks (resembling "+" or "t" or "X")
170:
1016:
1291:8th century BC in the Kingdom of Judah
1265:Palestine Region Exploration Quarterly
1201:
1187:Grena, George M. (February 23, 2002).
129:" to King" (name of a person or deity)
7:
1248:. Scholars Press; Atlanta, Georgia.
90:LMLK stands for the Hebrew letters
56:. Several complete jars were found
326:LMLK jar on display, Israel Museum
25:
420:and/or priests associated with
132:" to the government" (of Judah)
118:), which can be translated as:
1296:Archaeological sites in Israel
1116:In the Footsteps of King David
1062:the Jewish Community of Hebron
175:LMLK sites as of February 2008
1:
529:, which was not destroyed by
939:
752:
729:
718:
681:
1286:8th-century BC inscriptions
1337:
1244:Vaughn, Andrew G. (1999).
1208:: CS1 maint: url-status (
1154:: 8, 19 – via JSTOR.
1235:Ussishkin, David (2004).
573:Lmlk Seals - Hecht Museum
565:Lmlk Seals - Hecht Museum
1173:Mazar and Panitz-Cohen,
462:The super-inscription,
1175:Timnah (Tel Batash) II
1095:www.antiquities.org.il
971:
959:
936:
924:
910:
898:
886:
874:
860:
848:
836:
824:
810:
798:
786:
774:
749:
713:
701:
678:
666:
574:
566:
558:
485:The sub-inscriptions (
327:
176:
87:
35:
1037:LMLK Research website
985:Archaeology of Israel
967:
955:
932:
920:
906:
894:
882:
870:
856:
844:
832:
820:
806:
794:
782:
770:
745:
709:
697:
674:
662:
572:
564:
556:
388:collected throughout
325:
174:
85:
33:
1271:(September 30): 372.
990:Biblical archaeology
433:Deuteronomy 32:11–12
167:Sites and quantities
1005:Phoenician alphabet
426:Temple in Jerusalem
330:Beginning with the
140:king's government.
122:" to the king" (of
112:lāmed mēm lāmed kāp
1189:"LMLK--Typologies"
1023:Ussishkin (2004),
972:
960:
937:
925:
911:
899:
887:
875:
861:
849:
837:
825:
811:
799:
787:
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750:
714:
702:
679:
667:
575:
567:
559:
511:wildcard character
328:
177:
88:
36:
1125:978-0-500-05201-3
976:
975:
64:destruction layer
16:(Redirected from
1328:
1301:Seals (insignia)
1272:
1259:
1240:
1231:
1214:
1213:
1207:
1199:
1197:
1195:
1184:
1178:
1171:
1165:
1162:
1156:
1155:
1145:
1136:
1130:
1129:
1111:
1105:
1104:
1102:
1101:
1087:
1081:
1078:
1072:
1071:
1069:
1068:
1054:
1048:
1045:
1039:
1034:
1028:
1021:
655:
21:
1336:
1335:
1331:
1330:
1329:
1327:
1326:
1325:
1276:
1275:
1262:
1256:
1243:
1234:
1226:
1223:
1218:
1217:
1200:
1193:
1191:
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1159:
1143:
1138:
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1133:
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1113:
1112:
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1066:
1064:
1056:
1055:
1051:
1046:
1042:
1035:
1031:
1022:
1018:
1013:
1000:Hebrew alphabet
981:
970:
958:
947:
945:
943:
941:
935:
923:
909:
897:
885:
873:
859:
847:
835:
823:
809:
797:
785:
773:
760:
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748:
737:
735:
733:
731:
726:
724:
722:
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689:
687:
685:
683:
677:
665:
650:
618:
616:Israeli postage
584:
551:
346:David Ussishkin
333:editio princeps
320:
257:Khirbet el-Burj
196:Khirbet Qeiyafa
169:
117:
80:
62:buried under a
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1334:
1332:
1324:
1323:
1318:
1313:
1308:
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1298:
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1216:
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1179:
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1049:
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987:
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977:
974:
973:
968:
961:
956:
949:
938:
933:
926:
921:
913:
912:
907:
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895:
888:
883:
876:
871:
863:
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857:
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845:
838:
833:
826:
821:
813:
812:
807:
800:
795:
788:
783:
776:
771:
763:
762:
751:
746:
739:
728:
716:
715:
710:
703:
698:
691:
680:
675:
668:
663:
649:
646:
642:holiday stamps
622:postage stamps
617:
614:
605:
604:
601:
598:
595:
583:
580:
550:
549:Personal seals
547:
539:George L. Kelm
503:
502:
483:
480:Zechariah 14:9
460:
429:
402:
401:
382:
368:
338:Charles Warren
319:
316:
315:
314:
308:
302:
296:
290:
284:
278:
272:
266:
260:
254:
248:
245:Moresheth-Gath
242:
236:
230:
224:
217:
211:
205:
199:
168:
165:
137:
136:
135:" to the King"
133:
130:
127:
115:
79:
76:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1333:
1322:
1319:
1317:
1314:
1312:
1309:
1307:
1304:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1289:
1287:
1284:
1283:
1281:
1270:
1266:
1261:
1257:
1255:0-7885-0594-7
1251:
1247:
1242:
1238:
1233:
1229:
1225:
1224:
1220:
1211:
1205:
1190:
1183:
1180:
1176:
1170:
1167:
1161:
1158:
1153:
1149:
1142:
1135:
1132:
1127:
1121:
1117:
1110:
1107:
1096:
1092:
1086:
1083:
1077:
1074:
1063:
1059:
1053:
1050:
1044:
1041:
1038:
1033:
1030:
1026:
1020:
1017:
1010:
1006:
1003:
1001:
998:
996:
993:
991:
988:
986:
983:
982:
978:
966:
962:
954:
950:
931:
927:
919:
915:
914:
905:
901:
893:
889:
881:
877:
869:
865:
864:
855:
851:
843:
839:
831:
827:
819:
815:
814:
805:
801:
793:
789:
781:
777:
769:
765:
764:
744:
740:
717:
708:
704:
696:
692:
673:
669:
661:
657:
656:
653:
647:
645:
643:
639:
638:Rosh Hashanah
635:
631:
627:
626:Scott catalog
623:
615:
613:
611:
602:
599:
596:
593:
592:
591:
589:
581:
579:
571:
563:
555:
548:
546:
544:
540:
536:
532:
528:
524:
520:
515:
512:
507:
500:
496:
492:
488:
484:
481:
477:
473:
469:
465:
461:
458:
454:
450:
446:
442:
438:
434:
430:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
410:
409:
406:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
381:
377:
373:
369:
367:
363:
359:
358:
357:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
334:
324:
317:
312:
309:
306:
303:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
285:
282:
279:
276:
273:
270:
267:
264:
261:
258:
255:
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246:
243:
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237:
234:
231:
228:
225:
222:
218:
215:
212:
209:
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186:
182:
173:
166:
164:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
141:
134:
131:
128:
125:
121:
120:
119:
113:
110:
106:
102:
101:
97:
94:
84:
77:
75:
73:
69:
65:
61:
60:
55:
51:
47:
44:
40:
32:
19:
1268:
1264:
1245:
1236:
1227:
1221:Bibliography
1192:. Retrieved
1182:
1174:
1169:
1160:
1151:
1147:
1134:
1115:
1109:
1098:. Retrieved
1094:
1091:"LMLK Seals"
1085:
1076:
1065:. Retrieved
1061:
1052:
1043:
1032:
1024:
1019:
651:
633:
630:Otte Wallish
619:
609:
606:
585:
576:
543:Amihai Mazar
521:conquest of
516:
508:
504:
463:
407:
403:
396:invasion by
378:invasion by
364:invasion by
331:
329:
239:Beth Shemesh
178:
142:
138:
111:
104:
103:(vocalized,
91:
89:
57:
38:
37:
1316:Tel Lachish
531:Sennacherib
523:Sennacherib
472:Psalm 10:16
457:Malachi 4:2
398:Sennacherib
380:Sennacherib
366:Sennacherib
214:Ramat Rahel
68:Sennacherib
1280:Categories
1100:2024-02-10
1067:2024-02-10
1011:References
476:Isaiah 6:5
453:Psalm 91:4
449:Psalm 61:4
445:Psalm 57:1
441:Psalm 36:7
384:Religious
109:Phoenician
86:LMLK stamp
66:caused by
39:LMLK seals
18:LMLK seals
944:not known
940:(reserved
761:existed)
757:not known
755:for Z2DR;
753:(reserved
734:not known
732:for M2DR;
730:(reserved
723:not known
721:for H2DR;
719:(reserved
686:not known
682:(reserved
582:Incisions
527:Jerusalem
437:Ruth 2:12
287:Tel Erani
208:Jerusalem
54:Jerusalem
1311:Hezekiah
1204:cite web
1194:June 30,
979:See also
948:existed)
942:for S4C;
738:existed)
727:existed)
690:existed)
684:for S2T;
648:Drawings
519:Assyrian
414:Hezekiah
394:Assyrian
390:Hezekiah
376:Assyrian
372:Hezekiah
362:Assyrian
354:Hezekiah
350:Hezekiah
318:Theories
305:Beth Zur
263:Mareshah
185:Benjamin
116:𐤋𐤌𐤋𐤊
105:lamelekh
50:Hezekiah
1148:'Atiqot
537:led by
422:Solomon
418:Levites
342:Lachish
219:Mordot
202:Lachish
98:lamedh
72:Lachish
59:in situ
1252:
1122:
946:if any
759:if any
736:if any
725:if any
688:if any
535:Timnah
497:, and
487:Hebron
478:, and
470:as in
455:, and
386:tithes
293:Hebron
281:Gibeah
275:Timnah
269:Azekah
233:Mizpah
227:Gibeon
221:Arnona
189:Simeon
187:, and
153:Hebron
145:Shfela
93:lamedh
43:Hebrew
1144:(PDF)
495:Socoh
299:Sokho
251:Gezer
223:: 124
216:: 163
210:: 281
204:: 415
198:: 693
181:Judah
157:Socoh
124:Judah
46:seals
1250:ISBN
1210:link
1196:2024
1120:ISBN
969:Z4CY
957:Z4CI
796:S2DW
747:S2DR
588:kiln
541:and
499:Ziph
491:MMST
468:YHWH
464:LMLK
311:Arad
307:: 11
295:: 13
289:: 13
283:: 14
277:: 15
271:: 18
265:: 19
253:: 37
247:: 39
241:: 71
235:: 88
229:: 92
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