'Genie' seal found in Jerusalem hints a person Bible mentions was real

An ancient stone seal featuring a winged 'genie' or 'demon' has been discovered in Jerusalem, hinting that a warrior mentioned in the Bible once existed in reality. Stone deals acted like an ID in ancient times. This one was worn by a man who held a senior position in the holy city some 2,700 years ago.

Never before in Jerusalem has a seal with a 'genie' or 'demon' been found before. An inscription in the Paleo-Hebrew script on either side of the seal reads "LeYehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu." These are both names mentioned in the Bible - Yehoʼezer' and 'Hoshʼayahu'.

The former refers to Yehoʼezer, used in the Bible as "Yoʼezer," the name of one of the warriors of King David who ruled Israel at the time.

The book of Jeremiah carries the second name ʼAzariah ben Hoshʼaya,' a parallel version of the name 'Hoshʼayahu'.

Ronny Reich from the University of Haifa, a research partner, said in a press release, "It is not impossible that perhaps it was Yehoʼezer himself who engraved the names on the object."

The seal also proves that Jerusalem had a multi-national culture, something the Bible also talks about. The Assyrian Empire ruled Jerusalem during the first temple period. The seal bears its mark in the form of a winged figure. Notably, the press release states that winged demons are known to be a part of the Neo-Assyrian art of the 9th-7th Centuries BCE.

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The seal was found near the Southern Wall of Temple Mount in the City of David National Park. There is a hole drilled through the piece, hinting at the possibility that it was worn on a string.

Demon or genie?

The design of the seal shows that an extremely high artistic level was needed to produce the piece. Researchers concluded that it was likely worn as an amulet by an official named Hoshʼayahu who was part of the Kingdom of Judah's administration.

Using a demon for personal identification likely "attests to his feeling that he belonged to the broader cultural context," excavation director Yuval Baruch said.

"This is an extremely rare and unusual discovery," said IAA Archeologist and Assyriologist Filip Vukosavovic.

"The seal, made of black stone, is one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem," the researchers said.

They explain that the two parts of the biblical first name are written in reverse order to the seal owner's name. The second name appears in its abbreviated form on the seal.

Therefore, the writing form matches the name inscribed on the seal and offers offering evidence that it was made during the first temple period.

They added that after Hoshʼayahu's death, his son Yehoʼezer inherited the seal and carved their names on either side of the demon engraved on it.