Adoniyahu 'Over the House' Bulla
Seal of a royal steward found in Temple Mount sifting debris
Found 2019 — Found in August 2019 by volunteer Batya Ofan at the City of David's Emek Tzurim sifting project, in earth removed in 2013 by Eli Shukron (Israel Antiquities Authority) from beneath Robinson's Arch; authenticated by Shukron and published in Tel Aviv 49 (2022)
Where Foot of the Temple Mount, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) (Israel)
Dates from 7th century BCE · Iron Age IIC · Kingdom of Judah under Manasseh, Josiah or their successors
Now at City of David / Israel Antiquities Authority
How Adoniyahu 'Over the House' Bulla was found
Recovered by wet-sifting earth excavated in 2013 at the foundations of the Western Wall beneath Robinson's Arch; the debris was not in its original layer. Announced 9 September 2019.
What it is
A clay bulla about 1 cm across reading 'l-Adoniyahu asher al ha-bayit' — belonging to Adoniyahu, who is over the house. The title means royal steward or chief of the palace.
Why it matters for the Bible
'Over the house' is the title held by Shebna and Eliakim in Isaiah 22 and by other royal stewards in Kings. This is the first bulla with that title from a documented excavation context in Jerusalem, showing the office existed exactly as the Bible describes. The name Adoniyahu belongs to several men in Scripture, but none can be matched to this steward.
The Hebrew word: ah-SHEHR al-ha-BAH-yit
אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבַּיִת
אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבַּיִת is pronounced ah-SHEHR al-ha-BAH-yit and means who is over the house (royal steward) (Strong's H1004).
People this discovery connects to
- Adonijah — אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ (ah-doh-nee-YAH-hoo) — YHVH is my lord
- Eliakim — אֶלְיָקִים (el-yah-KEEM) — God raises up
Places
- Jerusalem — יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (ye-roo-shah-LAH-yim) — foundation of peace (traditional)
Events
Administration of the royal palace in Jerusalem
Adoniyahu 'Over the House' Bulla in Scripture
2 Samuel 3:4 First mention of Adonijah in Scripture.
2 Kings 18:18 Eliakim 'who was over the household' meets the Assyrian envoys.
Isaiah 22:15 Shebna is 'over the house' — the same title as on the bulla.
Questions people ask
What is Adoniyahu 'Over the House' Bulla?
A clay bulla about 1 cm across reading 'l-Adoniyahu asher al ha-bayit' — belonging to Adoniyahu, who is over the house. The title means royal steward or chief of the palace.
When was Adoniyahu 'Over the House' Bulla discovered?
It was found in 2019 by Found in August 2019 by volunteer Batya Ofan at the City of David's Emek Tzurim sifting project, in earth removed in 2013 by Eli Shukron (Israel Antiquities Authority) from beneath Robinson's Arch; authenticated by Shukron and published in Tel Aviv 49 (2022), at Foot of the Temple Mount, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Where is Adoniyahu 'Over the House' Bulla today?
City of David / Israel Antiquities Authority.
Which Bible verses does Adoniyahu 'Over the House' Bulla relate to?
2 Samuel 3:4, 2 Kings 18:18, Isaiah 22:15.
Related discoveries
- עֶבֶד הַמֶּלֶךְNathan-Melech, Servant of the King BullaSeal of an official named in the story of Josiah's reform
- חוֹתָםGedaliah son of Pashhur BullaSeal of a second official from Jeremiah 38, found beside the Jehucal bulla
- הַסֹּפֵרBaruch son of Neriah Bulla (unprovenanced)'Belonging to Berekhyahu son of Neriyahu the scribe' — Jeremiah's secretary, if genuine
- סֹפֵרHouse of Bullae and the Gemariah son of Shaphan BullaFifty-one seal impressions baked hard in the fire of 586 BCE, one naming a scribe from Jeremiah 36
- שַׂרJehucal son of Shelemiah BullaSeal of the royal official who was sent to Jeremiah and later had him thrown in a cistern
- בֵּית לֶחֶםBethlehem BullaThe earliest mention of Bethlehem outside the Bible, on a tax-shipment seal
Sources
- City of David Foundation announcement, Sep 2019
- Times of Israel, 'Tiny First Temple seal impression found with name of Bible-era royal steward' (9 Sep 2019)
- Shukron et al., 'A Bulla of Adoniyahu, the One Who Is Over the House, from beneath Robinson's Arch', Tel Aviv 49 (2022)