Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz
A carnelian seal of a royal official of King Ahaz
Found 1940 — Unprovenanced; purchased on the antiquities market around 1940 and now in the Yale Babylonian Collection
Where Unknown (Unknown)
Dates from 8th century BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Ahaz of Judah)
Now at Yale Babylonian Collection (Yale Peabody Museum), New Haven
Names a biblical person Ahaz (unprovenanced)
How Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz was found
Purchased on the antiquities market; no excavation record.
What it is
A small carnelian scaraboid seal engraved in Paleo-Hebrew: 'Belonging to Ushna, servant of Ahaz' (l'shn' 'bd 'chz), with decorative lines dividing the registers.
Why it matters for the Bible
Together with the Ahaz bulla, this seal points to a royal administration under Ahaz in which officials proudly named their king. 'Servant of the king' seals are known for Jeroboam II (Shema), Uzziah, Hoshea and Hezekiah, so this fits a well-attested pattern. Its lack of provenance means it supports, rather than proves, the picture.
The Hebrew word: EH-ved
עֶבֶד
עֶבֶד is pronounced EH-ved and means servant; official (Strong's H5650).
People this discovery connects to
- Ahaz — אָחָז (Ah-CHAHZ) — he has grasped
Places
- Judah — יְהוּדָה (Ye-hoo-DAH) — praise
Events
Royal administration of Judah under Ahaz
Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz in Scripture
2 Kings 15:38 First mention of Ahaz in Scripture.
2 Kings 16:2 Ahaz's reign over Judah; Ushna served in his court.
2 Kings 16:10-11 Ahaz sends orders to Uriah the priest — the kind of official business seals like this authorized.
Questions people ask
What is Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz?
A small carnelian scaraboid seal engraved in Paleo-Hebrew: 'Belonging to Ushna, servant of Ahaz' (l'shn' 'bd 'chz), with decorative lines dividing the registers.
When was Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz discovered?
It was found in 1940 by Unprovenanced; purchased on the antiquities market around 1940 and now in the Yale Babylonian Collection, at Unknown.
Where is Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz today?
Yale Babylonian Collection (Yale Peabody Museum), New Haven.
Which Bible verses does Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz relate to?
2 Kings 15:38, 2 Kings 16:2, 2 Kings 16:10-11.
Is Seal of Ushna, Servant of Ahaz authentic?
No findspot; generally accepted as ancient on stylistic grounds but unverifiable.
Related discoveries
- מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָהBulla of Ahaz, King of Judah'Belonging to Ahaz (son of) Jehotham, king of Judah' — a royal seal impression with no findspot
- חוֹתָם'Jezebel' SealAn opulent Phoenician-style seal that may — or may not — have belonged to Ahab's queen
- הוֹשֵׁעַSeal of Abdi, Servant of HosheaThe only Israelite object naming Israel's last king
- הַסֹּפֵרBaruch son of Neriah Bulla (unprovenanced)'Belonging to Berekhyahu son of Neriyahu the scribe' — Jeremiah's secretary, if genuine
- יְהוּדִיAl-Yahudu Tablets ('Judahtown')Two hundred cuneiform documents from a village of Judean exiles in Babylonia
- אָחJames Ossuary'Yaakov bar Yosef, brother of Yeshua' — an unprovenanced box at the center of a forgery trial
Sources
- Avigad & Sass, Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals (1997), no. 5
- Wikipedia: Ahaz (archaeology section)
- Bible Archaeology Report: King Ahaz: An Archaeological Biography
- Wikipedia: Ahaz (archaeology)