Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal
Gedaliah's capital after 586, and the seal of a captain named in 2 Kings 25
Found 1926 — William F. Badè (Pacific School of Religion), 1926–1935; the Jaazaniah seal was found in 1932
Where Tell en-Nasbeh, 12 km north of Jerusalem (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from c. 620–540 BCE · Iron Age IIC – Babylonian period · Fall of Jerusalem and Gedaliah's governorship
Now at Badè Museum, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley (most finds); the Jaazaniah seal is in the Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem
Names a biblical person Jaazaniah (seal 'Jaazaniah servant of the king'; identification with 2 Kgs 25:23 plausible, not certain)
How Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal was found
Badè excavated almost the whole mound, exposing a great Iron Age wall and gate. In Tomb 19 he found an onyx seal reading 'belonging to Yaazanyahu, servant of the king', decorated with a fighting cock. The site was not destroyed in 586 and its finest buildings date to the Babylonian period.
What it is
A 3.2-hectare walled town with a 4 m thick wall, towers and an inturned gate, identified by most scholars as biblical Mizpah of Benjamin. Unusually, occupation continues without a destruction layer through the 6th century, with large 'four-room' houses and Mesopotamian-style bathtubs and pottery. The seal is a small black-and-white onyx scaraboid with paleo-Hebrew and a rooster.
Why it matters for the Bible
After Jerusalem fell, Nebuchadnezzar made Gedaliah governor at Mizpah, and Jeremiah joined him there. Tell en-Nasbeh is the only Judean site that grows rather than shrinks in the Babylonian period, matching its role as the new capital. 2 Kings 25:23 lists 'Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite' among the captains who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah; a seal of a Jaazaniah 'servant of the king' from a Mizpah tomb of the right date may well be his, though the name is not unique. Gedaliah was murdered there, a tragedy still marked by the Fast of Gedaliah.
The Hebrew word: mits-PAH
מִצְפָּה
מִצְפָּה is pronounced mits-PAH and means watchtower, lookout (Strong's H4709).
People this discovery connects to
- Gedaliah — גְּדַלְיָהוּ (ge-dal-YAH-hoo) — YHVH is great
- Jaazaniah — יַאֲזַנְיָהוּ (yah-ah-zan-YAH-hoo) — YHVH hears
Places
- Mizpah — מִצְפָּה (mits-PAH) — watchtower
Events
Gedaliah's governorship at Mizpah · Assassination of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41)
Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal in Scripture
2 Kings 25:23 Jaazaniah and other captains come to Gedaliah at Mizpah — the seal bears his name and the site is Mizpah. (First mention of Jaazaniah.)
Jeremiah 40:6 Jeremiah goes to Gedaliah at Mizpah and lives among the people left in the land.
Jeremiah 41:2 Ishmael kills Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Questions people ask
What is Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal?
A 3.2-hectare walled town with a 4 m thick wall, towers and an inturned gate, identified by most scholars as biblical Mizpah of Benjamin. Unusually, occupation continues without a destruction layer through the 6th century, with large 'four-room' houses and Mesopotamian-style bathtubs and pottery. The seal is a small black-and-white onyx scaraboid with paleo-Hebrew and a rooster.
When was Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal discovered?
It was found in 1926 by William F. Badè (Pacific School of Religion), 1926–1935; the Jaazaniah seal was found in 1932, at Tell en-Nasbeh, 12 km north of Jerusalem.
Where is Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal today?
Badè Museum, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley (most finds); the Jaazaniah seal is in the Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal relate to?
2 Kings 25:23, Jeremiah 40:6, Jeremiah 41:2.
Is Tell en-Nasbeh (Mizpah) and the Jaazaniah Seal authentic?
The Mizpah identification is the majority view (Nebi Samwil is the alternative); the seal's link to the biblical Jaazaniah is plausible but unprovable.
Related discoveries
- מִצְפָּהMizpah (Tell en-Nasbeh)Benjamin's gathering place with a great Iron Age wall
- גִּבְעוֹןGibeon Winery and Inscribed Jar HandlesRock-cut wine cellars and handles stamped 'Gibeon' that fixed the city's identity
- חוֹתָםGedaliah son of Pashhur BullaSeal of a second official from Jeremiah 38, found beside the Jehucal bulla
- רַב־סָרִיסNebo-Sarsekim TabletA Babylonian temple receipt naming an officer from Jeremiah 39:3
- 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
Sources
- Wikipedia, 'Tell en-Nasbeh'
- Zorn, 'Tell en-Nasbeh and the Problem of the Material Culture of the Sixth Century', in Lipschits & Blenkinsopp (eds.), Judah and the Judeans in the Neo-Babylonian Period (2003)
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