Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City
The scanty but telling remains of the Jerusalem Ezra and Nehemiah knew
Found 1978 — Yigal Shiloh's City of David excavations (1978–85) found the main Persian-period deposits; later finds by Eilat Mazar (2005–08), Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron (Givati and the Gihon), and the Temple Mount Sifting Project
Where City of David, Jerusalem (Israel)
Dates from c. 539–332 BCE · Persian period · Return from exile through Ezra and Nehemiah
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority; Israel Museum, Jerusalem
How Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City was found
Persian-period material in Jerusalem is thin and mostly comes from fills on the eastern slope of the City of David: Yehud stamp impressions, a few coins and seals, Attic Greek pottery sherds, and animal bones showing an ordinary population.
What it is
Finds include dozens of Yehud stamped handles, a seal reading 'belonging to Shelomith, maidservant of Elnathan the governor' (from the antiquities market), a bulla of 'Elnathan the governor', Attic black-glazed pottery, and lion-stamped jar handles. No large public buildings of the period have been found.
Why it matters for the Bible
The archaeology matches Nehemiah's own picture: a city with 'few people in it and no houses built' (Nehemiah 7:4), restricted to the narrow eastern ridge and the Temple Mount. Population estimates for Persian Jerusalem run from a few hundred to a few thousand. The seals of governor Elnathan and of Shelomith, possibly Zerubbabel's daughter (1 Chronicles 3:19), give names of the provincial leadership between Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. The Greek pottery shows trade reaching Judah even in its poverty.
The Hebrew word: PAH-chat ye-hoo-DAH
פַּחַת יְהוּדָה
פַּחַת יְהוּדָה is pronounced PAH-chat ye-hoo-DAH and means governor of Judah (the title on the Elnathan bulla and of Zerubbabel in Haggai) (Strong's H6346 + H3063).
People this discovery connects to
- Zerubbabel — זְרֻבָּבֶל (ze-roo-bah-VEL) — seed of Babylon
- Shelomith — שְׁלֹמִית (she-lo-MEET) — peaceful
Places
- Jerusalem — יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (ye-roo-shah-LAH-yim) — foundation of peace (traditional)
Events
Resettlement of Jerusalem after the exile · Casting lots to bring one in ten to live in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11)
Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City in Scripture
Nehemiah 7:4 'The city was wide and large, but the people in it were few'; the sparse Persian-period remains bear this out.
Nehemiah 11:1-2 Lots are cast to repopulate Jerusalem; archaeology shows how small the city had become.
1 Chronicles 3:19 First mention of Shelomith in Scripture.
Questions people ask
What is Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City?
Finds include dozens of Yehud stamped handles, a seal reading 'belonging to Shelomith, maidservant of Elnathan the governor' (from the antiquities market), a bulla of 'Elnathan the governor', Attic black-glazed pottery, and lion-stamped jar handles. No large public buildings of the period have been found.
When was Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City discovered?
It was found in 1978 by Yigal Shiloh's City of David excavations (1978–85) found the main Persian-period deposits; later finds by Eilat Mazar (2005–08), Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron (Givati and the Gihon), and the Temple Mount Sifting Project, at City of David, Jerusalem.
Where is Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City today?
Israel Antiquities Authority; Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City relate to?
Nehemiah 7:4, Nehemiah 11:1-2, 1 Chronicles 3:19.
Is Persian-Period Jerusalem: Bullae, Seals and the Small City authentic?
The finds are genuine (the Shelomith seal is unprovenanced). Estimates of Persian Jerusalem's size and the identification of Shelomith with Zerubbabel's daughter are debated.
Related discoveries
- חוֹמָהNehemiah's Wall in the City of DavidA Persian-period wall and tower on the eastern slope, proposed as the wall Nehemiah rebuilt in 52 days
- תְּעָלָהHezekiah's Tunnel (Siloam Tunnel)533-metre rock-cut water channel bringing the Gihon Spring inside Jerusalem's walls
- מִלּוֹאStepped Stone StructureA giant stone rampart on the slope of the City of David, perhaps the biblical Millo
- חוֹתָםGedaliah son of Pashhur BullaSeal of a second official from Jeremiah 38, found beside the Jehucal bulla
- 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
- Lipschits, 'Persian Period Finds from Jerusalem: Facts and Interpretations', JHS 9 (2009)
- Avigad, Bullae and Seals from a Post-Exilic Judean Archive (Qedem 4, 1976)
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