Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea
The only Israelite object naming Israel's last king
Found 1995 — Unprovenanced; published by Andre Lemaire in Biblical Archaeology Review (1995)
Where Unknown (antiquities market) (Unknown)
Dates from c. 732–722 BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Hoshea, last king of Israel)
Now at Private collection (reported as the Moussaieff collection, London)
Names a biblical person Hoshea (unprovenanced)
How Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea was found
Surfaced on the antiquities market in the early 1990s; no excavation record.
What it is
An orange chalcedony scaraboid seal with an Egyptian-style figure holding a lotus, and the Paleo-Hebrew text 'Belonging to Abdi, servant of Hoshea' (l'bdy 'bd hwsh'). Script and style point to the late eighth century.
Why it matters for the Bible
Hoshea, who murdered Pekah and then rebelled against Assyria, is named in Tiglath-Pileser's annals; this seal would be the only Israelite-made object bearing his name, from the last decade before Samaria fell. It shows a functioning court with titled officials even in the kingdom's final years. Because it is unprovenanced it must be used with caution.
The Hebrew word: Ho-SHAY-ah
הוֹשֵׁעַ
הוֹשֵׁעַ is pronounced Ho-SHAY-ah and means Hoshea — 'salvation'; same name as the prophet Hosea and Joshua's original name (Strong's H1954).
People this discovery connects to
- Hoshea — הוֹשֵׁעַ (Ho-SHAY-ah) — salvation
Places
- Samaria — שֹׁמְרוֹן (Shom-RONE) — watch-mountain
Events
Hoshea's reign and the fall of Samaria
Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea in Scripture
2 Kings 15:30 Hoshea's conspiracy against Pekah that brought him to the throne.
2 Kings 17:1-2 Hoshea son of Elah begins his nine-year reign in Samaria; Abdi served this king.
Questions people ask
What is Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea?
An orange chalcedony scaraboid seal with an Egyptian-style figure holding a lotus, and the Paleo-Hebrew text 'Belonging to Abdi, servant of Hoshea' (l'bdy 'bd hwsh'). Script and style point to the late eighth century.
When was Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea discovered?
It was found in 1995 by Unprovenanced; published by Andre Lemaire in Biblical Archaeology Review (1995), at Unknown (antiquities market).
Where is Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea today?
Private collection (reported as the Moussaieff collection, London).
Which Bible verses does Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea relate to?
2 Kings 15:30, 2 Kings 17:1-2.
Is Seal of Abdi, Servant of Hoshea authentic?
No findspot; accepted as probably ancient by Lemaire and others but unverifiable.
Related discoveries
- עֶבֶדSeal of Ushna, Servant of AhazA carnelian seal of a royal official of King Ahaz
- חוֹתָם'Jezebel' SealAn opulent Phoenician-style seal that may — or may not — have belonged to Ahab's queen
- הַסֹּפֵרBaruch son of Neriah Bulla (unprovenanced)'Belonging to Berekhyahu son of Neriyahu the scribe' — Jeremiah's secretary, if genuine
- יְהוּדִיAl-Yahudu Tablets ('Judahtown')Two hundred cuneiform documents from a village of Judean exiles in Babylonia
- אָחJames Ossuary'Yaakov bar Yosef, brother of Yeshua' — an unprovenanced box at the center of a forgery trial
- מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָהBulla of Ahaz, King of Judah'Belonging to Ahaz (son of) Jehotham, king of Judah' — a royal seal impression with no findspot
Sources
- Lemaire, 'Name of Israel's Last King Surfaces in a Private Collection', BAR 21:6 (1995)
- Wikipedia: Hoshea (archaeology section)