'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh
A copper seal ring naming Yotam from the Red Sea port of Elath
Found 1940 — Nelson Glueck, American Schools of Oriental Research excavations at Tell el-Kheleifeh (third season, 1940)
Where Tell el-Kheleifeh, near Aqaba, Jordan (Jordan)
Dates from 8th century BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Uzziah / Jotham of Judah)
Now at Reported in the Jordan Archaeological Museum, Amman (unverified)
How 'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh was found
Found in the Iron Age fortress-settlement at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, which Glueck identified with Ezion-geber/Elath.
What it is
A copper signet ring whose bezel shows a horned ram and a bellows-like object with the Paleo-Hebrew letters 'lytm' — 'belonging to Yotam' (Jotham). Whether the name is the king or an official of the same name is unknown; a later reading proposed 'Yotam' as a private person.
Why it matters for the Bible
2 Kings says Uzziah 'built Elath and restored it to Judah', and Jotham was his son and co-regent. A seal reading 'Jotham' at Elath from just that period invites the identification, though the Bible does not call the king by title here and Jotham was a common name. It is a suggestive link between Judah's Red Sea trade and the royal house, not a confirmed royal object.
The Hebrew word: Yo-TAHM
יוֹתָם
יוֹתָם is pronounced Yo-TAHM and means Jotham — 'YHVH is perfect/complete' (Strong's H3147).
People this discovery connects to
- Jotham — יוֹתָם (Yo-TAHM) — YHVH is perfect
- Uzziah — עֻזִּיָּהוּ (Ooz-zee-YAH-hoo) — YHVH is my strength
Places
- Elath — אֵילַת (Ay-LAHT) — grove of great trees
- Ezion-geber — עֶצְיוֹן גֶּבֶר (Ets-YONE GEH-ver) — backbone of a man (uncertain)
Events
Uzziah's rebuilding of Elath · Loss of Elath to Aram/Edom under Ahaz
'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh in Scripture
2 Kings 14:22 Uzziah builds Elath and restores it to Judah — the port where the Jotham seal was found.
2 Kings 15:5 First mention of Jotham in Scripture.
2 Kings 15:32-33 Jotham son of Uzziah reigns in Judah.
Questions people ask
What is 'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh?
A copper signet ring whose bezel shows a horned ram and a bellows-like object with the Paleo-Hebrew letters 'lytm' — 'belonging to Yotam' (Jotham). Whether the name is the king or an official of the same name is unknown; a later reading proposed 'Yotam' as a private person.
When was 'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh discovered?
It was found in 1940 by Nelson Glueck, American Schools of Oriental Research excavations at Tell el-Kheleifeh (third season, 1940), at Tell el-Kheleifeh, near Aqaba, Jordan.
Where is 'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh today?
Reported in the Jordan Archaeological Museum, Amman (unverified).
Which Bible verses does 'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh relate to?
2 Kings 14:22, 2 Kings 15:5, 2 Kings 15:32-33.
Is 'Jotham' Seal from Tell el-Kheleifeh authentic?
Excavated, but whether 'Yotam' is King Jotham is unproven; the site's identification with Ezion-geber/Elath and the seal's exact reading are also debated.
Related discoveries
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- מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָהBulla of Ahaz, King of Judah'Belonging to Ahaz (son of) Jehotham, king of Judah' — a royal seal impression with no findspot
- עֻזִּיָּהוּUzziah Tablet'Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, king of Judah. Do not open.'
- יַבְנֶהYavneh 'Temple Hill' Favissa: Philistine Cult StandsA single pit with over a hundred clay shrine-stands from Philistine Jabneh
- רַעַשׁThe Earthquake of Uzziah's DaysCracked walls and tilted floors across Israel dated to Amos's 'two years before the earthquake'
- עֶבֶדSeal of Ushna, Servant of AhazA carnelian seal of a royal official of King Ahaz
Sources
- Glueck, 'The Third Season of Excavation at Tell el-Kheleifeh', BASOR 79 (1940)
- Wikipedia: Tell el-Kheleifeh
- Glueck, 'The Third Season of Excavation at Tell el-Kheleifeh', BASOR 79 (1940) (transcription)
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