Jehucal son of Shelemiah Bulla
Seal of the royal official who was sent to Jeremiah and later had him thrown in a cistern
Found 2005 — Eilat Mazar (Hebrew University), Large Stone Structure excavations
Where City of David, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) (Israel)
Dates from c. 600–586 BCE · Iron Age IIC · Reign of Tsidkiyahu (Zedekiah)
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority / Hebrew University (City of David excavation finds)
Names a biblical person Jehucal, Shelemiah
How Jehucal son of Shelemiah Bulla was found
Found in debris at the base of the Large Stone Structure in the City of David during the first season of Mazar's excavation.
What it is
A clay bulla about 1 cm across with three lines of paleo-Hebrew: 'l-Yehukal ben Shelemyahu ben Shovi' — belonging to Jehucal son of Shelemiah son of Shobi.
Why it matters for the Bible
Jeremiah 37:3 names 'Jehucal son of Shelemiah' as one of two men Zedekiah sent to ask Jeremiah to pray for the city; in 38:1–6 the same man joins those who demand the prophet's death. A seal with his name and his father's, found in the royal quarter where he worked, brings a minor villain of the story into the archaeological record. Three years later Mazar found a bulla of his colleague Gedaliah son of Pashhur a few metres away.
The Hebrew word: sahr
שַׂר
שַׂר is pronounced sahr and means prince, official (Strong's H8269).
People this discovery connects to
- Jehucal — יְהוּכַל (ye-hoo-CHAHL) — YHVH is able
- Jeremiah — יִרְמְיָהוּ (yir-me-YAH-hoo) — YHVH exalts
Places
- City of David — עִיר דָּוִד (eer dah-VEED) — city of David
Events
Zedekiah's embassy to Jeremiah · Jeremiah cast into the cistern
Jehucal son of Shelemiah Bulla in Scripture
Jeremiah 37:3 Zedekiah sends Jehucal son of Shelemiah to Jeremiah — the man named on the bulla.
Jeremiah 38:1 Jucal son of Shelemiah is among the officials who hear Jeremiah's words and move against him.
Questions people ask
What is Jehucal son of Shelemiah Bulla?
A clay bulla about 1 cm across with three lines of paleo-Hebrew: 'l-Yehukal ben Shelemyahu ben Shovi' — belonging to Jehucal son of Shelemiah son of Shobi.
When was Jehucal son of Shelemiah Bulla discovered?
It was found in 2005 by Eilat Mazar (Hebrew University), Large Stone Structure excavations, at City of David, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Where is Jehucal son of Shelemiah Bulla today?
Israel Antiquities Authority / Hebrew University (City of David excavation finds).
Which Bible verses does Jehucal son of Shelemiah Bulla relate to?
Jeremiah 37:3, Jeremiah 38:1.
Related discoveries
- חוֹתָםGedaliah son of Pashhur BullaSeal of a second official from Jeremiah 38, found beside the Jehucal bulla
- 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
- מַשְׂאֵתLachish Letters (Lachish Ostraca)Military dispatches from the last days of Judah: 'we cannot see the signals of Azekah'
- מִלּוֹאStepped Stone StructureA giant stone rampart on the slope of the City of David, perhaps the biblical Millo
- עָלָהPilgrimage Road (Stepped Street)The 600-meter stepped street from the Pool of Siloam up to the Temple Mount, built under Pilate
- בָּמָהCity of David Rock-Cut Sanctuary RoomsEight bedrock chambers near the Gihon with an altar, olive press and winepress, sealed in the 8th century BCE
Sources
- E. Mazar, Preliminary Report on the City of David Excavations 2005 (2007)
- E. Mazar, 'Did I Find King David's Palace?', BAR 32:1 (2006)
- Wikipedia, 'Jehucal'