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LMLK Jar Handles

Royal 'Belonging to the King' stamps on Hezekiah's storage jars

Judah, Babylon & Exile · pottery / vessel, seal / bulla · Accepted by scholars · found 1870

Clay jar handle stamped with a winged symbol and Hebrew letters
Photo: Chamberi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons — LMLK jar handle with the Hebron stamp, Israel Museum.

Found 1870 — First published by Charles Warren (Palestine Exploration Fund) from his Jerusalem work, 1870; large numbers later recovered by F. J. Bliss and R. A. S. Macalister in the Shephelah (1898–1900) and at Lachish and Ramat Rachel

Where Across Judah; largest groups from Lachish, Jerusalem and Ramat Rachel (Israel)

Dates from late 8th century BCE · Iron Age IIB · Reign of Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah)

Now at Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Hecht Museum, Haifa; British Museum; many other collections

How LMLK Jar Handles was found

Stamped handles turn up at almost every Judean site. Lachish Level III alone yielded over 400, sealed by the 701 BCE destruction, which fixed their date.

What it is

Handles of large four-handled storage jars stamped before firing with a seal reading 'lmlk' (belonging to the king) above a two-winged sun or four-winged scarab, and below it one of four place names: Hebron, Ziph, Socoh or 'mmst'. More than 2,000 are known.

Why it matters for the Bible

They are the fingerprint of a centralised royal supply system, almost certainly Hezekiah's stockpiling of oil and wine before Sennacherib's invasion (2 Chronicles 32:28). Because so many were found sealed in the 701 BCE destruction at Lachish, they are a key dating tool for the whole period. The meaning of the four town names — production centres or administrative districts — is still debated.

The Hebrew word: la-MEH-lech

לַמֶּלֶךְ

לַמֶּלֶךְ is pronounced la-MEH-lech and means belonging to the king (Strong's H4428).

People this discovery connects to

Places

Events

Hezekiah's preparations for the Assyrian invasion

LMLK Jar Handles in Scripture

2 Kings 16:20 First mention of Hezekiah in Scripture.

2 Chronicles 32:5 His military preparations included provisioning the fortified cities where LMLK jars are found.

2 Chronicles 32:28 Hezekiah builds storehouses for grain, wine and oil — the jars these handles came from.

Questions people ask

What is LMLK Jar Handles?
Handles of large four-handled storage jars stamped before firing with a seal reading 'lmlk' (belonging to the king) above a two-winged sun or four-winged scarab, and below it one of four place names: Hebron, Ziph, Socoh or 'mmst'. More than 2,000 are known.

When was LMLK Jar Handles discovered?
It was found in 1870 by First published by Charles Warren (Palestine Exploration Fund) from his Jerusalem work, 1870; large numbers later recovered by F. J. Bliss and R. A. S. Macalister in the Shephelah (1898–1900) and at Lachish and Ramat Rachel, at Across Judah; largest groups from Lachish, Jerusalem and Ramat Rachel.

Where is LMLK Jar Handles today?
Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Hecht Museum, Haifa; British Museum; many other collections.

Which Bible verses does LMLK Jar Handles relate to?
2 Kings 16:20, 2 Chronicles 32:5, 2 Chronicles 32:28.

Related discoveries

Sources

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