A clay seal impression, known as a bulla, bearing a clearly legible Hebrew inscription, was found just three weeks ago as part of the Temple Mount Sifting Project. The bulla dates back to the late 7th to early 6th century BCE, a time corresponding to the reign of Yoshiyahu, Melech Yehudah, who led a dramatic spiritual revival in Klal Yisroel.

A bulla was used in ancient times to seal documents or containers, ensuring only authorized individuals could access them. This particular seal was discovered by archaeologist Mordechai Erlich and deciphered by epigrapher Anat Mendel-Geberovich and researcher Zachi Dvira. The inscription reads: “Yedayah (ben) Asayahu”, meaning: “Belonging to Yedayah, son of Asayahu.”

This name is striking, as Asayahu is mentioned in Sefer Melachim as a trusted servant of King Yoshiyahu. During the renovations of the Beis HaMikdash described in Melachim II (22), a hidden Sefer Torah was discovered — a moment that shook the king to his core. Upon hearing its dire warnings, King Yoshiyahu tore his garments in mourning and sent a delegation to seek the word of Hashem through the nevi’ah Chuldah. One of those sent was none other than Asayahu, described as a “servant of the king.”

The researchers believe it is highly plausible that this bulla belonged to Asayahu’s son, Yedayah, who may have followed in his father’s footsteps, serving in a high-ranking governmental capacity.

The seal was found among dirt removed during unsanctioned excavations on Har HaBayis by the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement — a group since outlawed for its ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The Temple Mount Sifting Project, under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University and supported by private donors via the Israel Archaeology Foundation, was launched in response to those illegal diggings and has since yielded tens of thousands of priceless artifacts.

Over the past 20 years, volunteers — more than 250,000 of them — have sifted through the rubble, uncovering coins, jewelry, weapons, pottery shards, ancient glass, and other relics of Jewish life dating back centuries.

A significant number of seal impressions found in Yerushalayim have been connected to personalities mentioned in Tanach. These seals were reserved for members of the royal court or other high officials, indicating Yedayah ben Asayahu’s likely importance within the leadership of the Malchus Yehudah.

Tragically, only decades after the time period in which this bulla was used, Yerushalayim fell to the armies of Nevuchadnezzar. The Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, and the elite of the city — including its top officials — were taken into galus in Bavel. But this tiny seal, miraculously preserved through the centuries, offers a powerful testimony to the eternal connection between Am Yisroel and the city of Yerushalayim.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)