Archaeologists Found Physical Evidence of the Existence of Prophet Isaiah
Archaeologists announced they found the first physical
evidence of the existence of Prophet Isaiah, The Daily Beast says with the
reference to the recent article in Biblical Archaeology Review magazine. The evidence itself comes in the
form of a small piece of clay (an impression left by a seal), a mere 0.4 inches
long, which appears to bear the inscription “Isaiah the prophet.”
The item was found during the excavations of the trash
heap in
Jerusalem. The debris contained figurines, pottery fragments, pieces of ivory,
and some clay seal impressions, known as bullae. These impressions were created
when the owners of the seals stamped their seals into the soft clay and include
the mark of King Hezekiah.
According
to Eliat Mazar, an Israel archaeologist, “alongside
the bullae of Hezekiah there
were
22 additional bullae, among
these was the bulla
of “Yesha‘yah[u] Nvy[?],” which is most straightforwardly translated as “Isaiah
the Prophet.” Given the importance of Isaiah to religious history, this seal
impression is of great significance to Jews and Christians alike.
According
to the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah was an 8 century BC prophet during the reign of
King Hezekiah. Isaiah began prophesying during the reign of King Ussiah and
appears to have lived through the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and the first
14 years of the reign of Hezekiah. “People
loved him so much that they even wrote “The Ascend of Isaiah” – a story about
his martyrdom and ascend to Heaven”.
“Now, for the first time, we have an example
of what might be his “signature”. Not only is this proof that Isaiah existed
(not something scholars truly disputed), but also the evidence of his role in 8 century BC Jerusalem society. Not everyone
who had a seal was of elevated high status (as they were a means of solidifying
identity), but the Bible does describe Isaiah as a counselor of the king to
whom the monarch would turn for advice. The discovery of his seal impressions
in close proximity to that of King Hezekiah confirms the picture of a court
prophet that we get from the Bible” –
the article says.
Mazar
acknowledges in her article that
there are some problems with the seal. Some of the letters that appear
to have broken off. Additionally, most seals identify their owner with
reference to their father “X, the son of Y.” The inscription on the Isaiah’s seal does not correspond
to this format. According
to Mazar, the inscription on the seal states his profession – prophet.
Robert
Cargill, the editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, told The Daily Beast that
this was a “carefully written, responsible article” and that the magazine was
careful not to claim definitively to have found the seal of Isaiah. He added that he personally believes that Mazar found
the seal of Isaiah and said that it was “the first archaeological and
non-biblical reference to the prophet”.
Source: http://www.bogoslov.ru/text/5741693/index.html
