Abstract:

The chance discovery in 1974, somewhere in the Jerusalem region, of a group of over 70 bullae (clay sealings from papyrus and parchment documents) and two actual seals is of great importance for the study of Yehud, the province of Judea under Persian rule. The entire collection, which probably originated in an official archive, dates from the very late 6th century BCE. Twelve different seals were responsible for the 65 bullae inscribed in Hebrew and written in the Aramaic script. A description, line drawing, and photograph accompany each bulla. Parallel English and Hebrew versions of the text of each inscription are given. The paleography, comparative epigraphic materials (accompanied by script charts), chronology, and historical setting are analyzed.