Usshishkin 1976 PDF

Royal Judean Storage Jars and Private Seal Impressions
Author(s): David Ussishkin

Source: Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 223 (Oct., 1976), pp. 1-
13
Published by: The American Schools of Oriental Research
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1356716
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Royal Judean Storage Jars and
Private Seal Impressions
DAVID USSISHKIN
Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Israel
The present excavation project at Tell Lachish

Remains of letters can be discerned, but the reading
is doubtful and obscure.
(Tell ed-Duweir) was started in 1973 by the Institute
of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University and theThe second storage jar, no. 10456, was discovered
Israel Exploration Society with the support of in
the1975 in the central, left-hand chamber of the
Samuel H. Kress Foundation in New York, theLevel III inner gatehouse (Locus 4034). Fragments
Wolfson Foundation in London, and other public of the storage jar were scattered over the chamber
bodies. One of the three selected areas was the and its entrance; lying on the floor, they were
complex Judean city gate (Area G), which iscoveredstill by the destruction debris of the gate. The
being excavated under the supervision of Y. upper
Eshel.part of the storage jar could be reconstructed
So far, efforts have been concentrated on (fig. 3), but many fragments of the lower part are
uncovering the left, northern half of the inner missing, having been dispersed in the area of the
gatehouse of (J. L. Starkey's) Level III. The inner
gate passage at the time of the final destruction. All
four handles are stamped, the stamps being
gatehouse consists of six chambers, three on each
impressed very clearly (fig. 4). Two handles,
side, and seems to be larger in size than similar gates
positioned side by side, have a royal stamp, Imlk
at other sites. The gatehouse was totally destroyed
by fire. The excavation of this area produced two
gwkh, with a two winged symbol, of type S IIA 1
royal Judean storage jars, Type 484 accordingaccording
to to Welten's division (1969: 40-41). The
two other handles are also adjacent to each other
Olga Tufnell's division (1953: 315-16), which form
the starting point of our discussion. and have a private stamp mglm 'hymlk. The stamp
is oval
The first storage jar was discovered in 1974 in a in shape and measures 12 x 10 mm. Seven
room (Locus 4014) which apparently served ashandles
a carrying the same private stamp were
storeroom, situated behind and adjacent to the discovered in Lachish during previous excavations
Level III gate. The room produced much pottery, (Diringer 1941:41, pl. 3: 4-6; Tufnell 1953: 341, pl.
47A: 4-6.).
mainly storage jars, all of which were crushed when
the gatehouse was destroyed. Our storage jar, no. In the first place, the stratigraphic importance of
10074, was badly damaged by the conflagration but storage jars should be stressed. They were
these
it could be reconstructed (fig. 1) and is now
found in clear loci of Level III, where they were used
exhibited in the Israel Museum (no. 75-244). Theside by side with similar storage jars carrying royal
storage jar has two handles positioned adjacent stamps
to with a four-winged scarab. The fact that
handles
each other with royal stamps of the two-winged type with the royal symbol of the two-winged
type
(Diringer's Class III). The third handle carries a were found at Lachish in clear loci of Level III
was demonstrated by Lance (1971: 322-29). His
private stamp, while the fourth handle is plain (fig.
conclusions
2). The handles have a protruding central rib along are now confirmed, and the discovery
of
which the royal stamps were impressed, but in a verycomplete jars renders impossible the otherwise
legitimate argument that the jar handles with the
careless manner. As a result, the symbol is quite
clear but the inscription above and below royalthe symbol of the two-winged type are strays,
symbol is missing. The private stamp is round, ca. out of context or mislaid, and should be
found
11 mm. in diameter, and a central dividing line dated to a period later than the destruction of Level
III (Aharoni 1975: 17). The new firm conclusion
which separates the two lines of the inscription can
clearly be distinguished. The rest is blurred. increases the importance of Level III at Lachish for
Copyright @ 1976 by the American Schools of Oriental Research
DAVID USSISHKIN BASOR 223
Fig. 1. Storage jar no.
0 iOcm\
I I , I
1976 ROYAL JUDEAN STORAGE JARS AND PRIVATE SEAL IMPRESSIONS 3
Fig. 2. Storage jar no. 10074 from

Lachish. Upper left: a private seal
impression. Upper and lower right: a
royal seal impression.
(Tufnell's
the study of the royal storage jars and their Type
date.484), and the sole complete storage
This is in fact the principal Judean sitejar whichthese
where carries a private stamp is of that type
jars have been found in situ in a well-defined
(Diringer 1941: 43-44, pl. 3: 9;Inge 1941: 107, pl. 10;
stratigraphic context, and hence the Tufnell 1953: 109, 341, pls. 47A:9, 78:1, 5). Second,
destruction
date of Level III becomes crucially important for of the handles with private stamps
the distribution
fixing the chronology of the royal storagematches
jars.that
Theof the royal stamps. Storage jar
handlesissue,
destruction date of Level III is a controversial with private stamps are known from
and it is hoped that the renewed excavations various sites in Judah, and those sites which
will
uncover new data which will enable us to settle this produced a considerable number of royal stamps
point conclusively. also produced handles with private stamps.
Even before the discovery of the two royal storageMoreover, in some cases handles with the same
jars mentioned above, it was quite clear, on purely private stamp were discovered at different sites; e.g.,
archeological grounds, that the royal and privatethe handles stamped Itnhm mgn which were found
stamps were related to each other (Aharoni 1964:at Lachish, Ramat Rahel, and Gibeon (Diringer
61; 1967: 103; Naveh 1968: 72-73, n. 26). First, the1941: 41-42, pl. 3:7; Tufnell 1953: 341, pl. 47A:7;
storage jar handles with private stamps are similar Aharoni 1964: 32, fig. 37:5, pl. 40:5; Pritchard 1959:
in type to the handles of the royal storage jars 29, figs. 10:8, 11:8) and are an indication that the
4 DAVID USSISHKIN BASOR 223
Fig. 3. Storage jar no. 10457 from Lac
O 10cm.
.iv. .
AN'; I.i
.I U
?i:. r ... ..:..C: . . o ,,: ,

likl
41
-',',J ?';r - .' i :
:..:
,,ff V,?
I:L'RP ' ' Y '"

. ~ I ..' 'I W. * ... ..
.... ":.
;; . . ? a?:
L.
tk. Ab.
. .. .. . . .. ..
*?? . , ..,I . , .
. . ' . ...4j
.- , . . " ,.... . .. .
J4.:.
I ,- . .., ...... r. "

IS?:l
Fig. 4. Storage jar no. 10457 from Lachish. left: a

royal stamp inmk A.'kh. Right: a private stamp mlr.m
hm/k.
storage jars which carried these stamps must have in the same context. It must be borne in mind that it
originated from central workshops, like the royal is impossible to prove the point. One can use shape,
storage jars. Third, one storage jar handle from size, color, material, texture, etc., to demonstrate
Ramat Rahel carries two impressions, one of a royal the similarity between different handles, thus
stamp with a two-winged symbol, and one of a indicating that none of these factors is an obstacle to
private stamp which reads lnr ? bn' (Aharoni 1962: attributing the handles to the same jar, but that is as
16-17, fig. 14:2, pl. 6:2). far as we can go. It has to be remembered that
Our storage jars introduce a decisive datum theoretically even identical handles could have
which sheds new light on the relationship between belonged to different storage jars.
the royal and private stamps. It is now clear that in Locus 1089 at Lachish is a room situated beside
at least two cases royal stamps and private stamps the road which leads into the city from the inner city
impressed on separate handles belong to the same gate of Level III (Tufnell 1953: 124-25, pl. 114). It
storage jar. This conclusion is now certain with the had a mud floor and brick walls on stone
restoration of the storage jars; had this not been foundations. Pottery vessels and other objects
possible, the different handles would probably have found on or above the floor, crushed and cov
been regarded as belonging to separate storagejars. the debris which filled the room when the ci
Therefore, the new datum immediately raises the Level III was destroyed. Three handles with
question of whether there are similar cases in which stamps of three different kinds, three handle
handles with both royal and private stamps private stamps of three different kinds, and a
belonged to the same storage jar but are not with an illegible stamp were registered by
considered as such because only the stamped excavators (cf. the list of finds in Tufnell 1953
handles were preserved and not thejars. There are in In addition, another handle carrying the p
fact a few examples where this may have been the stamp mglm :hymlk was discovered in this
case, in which handles of both types were discovered few years ago by H. Geva during a study v
archeology pattern of the

students ofhorizontal
the lines which were formed
Hebrew
Jerusalem. It when thereasonable
seems vessel was turned on the potter's
to wheelassu
.
the excavators Finally, the remains of the bodycollected
meticulously of the storage jar
fragments which were attached
dispersed in tothisall three handles (in the case
room,
storage jar with ofstamped
the third handle they are handles
shown in the drawing) co
indicate that the
restored. The stamped handles were positioned
handles natura in a
similar between
and the comparison way on the storage jar. them is t
of evidence whichSumming
can up, be
it is reasonable
producedto assume that the at
of the stamped handles are
two mglm nhIymlk handles and kept
the Imlk gwkh in
handle th
constitute
Archaeology of the parts of one and the same storage
University of jar Lon
which stoodfrom
bulk of the material in Room 1089. Significantly,
Starkey's the Imlk
Lachish, while two stamped
gwkh handle handl
was stamped with Seal S IIA 1
Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. In the summer according to Welten's division, like our storage jar
of 1975 I took the two handles from the latter to no. 10457 (cf. above). Thus it seems that our
reconstructed storage jar from Room 1089 and
London. There, in the collection of the Institute of
Archaeology, I located three more of the stamped storage jar no. 10457, which was found ca. 20 m.
handles, enabling me to compare five stampeddistant in the chamber of the contemporary city
handles from this locus: F. no. 7167 (Rockefeller gate, carry similar stamps and were probably
Museum no. 39.825), mglm 'hmlk; F. no. 7166 manufactured at the same workshop. According to
(Rockefeller Museum no. 39.824), spn c zryhw; the F. evidence of the latter storage jar, we can assume
no. 7163, Imlk hbrn with a four-winged scarab also in that the reconstructed storage jar from Room
schematic style; F. no. 7164, Imlk hbrn with a two-1089 had four stamped handles, the fourth handle
winged symbol; F. no. 7165, Imlk wkh with a two-having a similar royal stamp, Imlk gwkh with a two-
winged symbol, which was apparently published inwinged symbol.
Lachish III (Tufnell 1953: pl. 46:10). The other twoWe shall now turn to Tell Beit Mirsim, excavated
stamped handles in the report (F. no. 7168, nhm by W. F. Albright. The excavations unearthed the
remains of a large, fortified city from the period of
cbdy, and F. no. 7169, illegible) could not be
the kingdom of Judah, labeled Stratum A. Large
located. In addition, I had at my disposal drawings
of the handle which was recently discovered and aamounts of pottery vessels and other objects typical
photograph of its stamp (courtesy of H. Geva and to Judah at that period were found in Stratum A,
but the number of stamped storage jar handles
D. Alon). Three of the handles (F. nos. 7163, 7164,
7166) definitely originate from different storagerecovered there was relatively small. They include
one handle stamped Imlk hbrn with a four-winged
jars, and they differ from the other handles. On the
other hand it seems that two handles (F. nos. 7165,scarab, three handles stamped Imlk hbrn with a two-
7167), one carrying the private stamp mglm 'hymlk winged symbol, and two handles with a private
stamp, lPlyqm ncrywkn. The fact that only a few
and the other carrying a royal stamp Imlk gwkh with
a two-winged symbol, belong to one storage jar.stamped
A handles were found here facilitates our
comparison of these handles with the drawings attempt
of to "restore" the handles into storage jars.
the recently discovered mglm / hmlk handle One handle stamped Plyqm ncr ywkn was
discovered on 26 June 1930 in Locus SE 23 A-7 and
indicates that the latter may well have belonged to
was given the excavation number 860 (fig. 5).
the same storage jar. All three handles are similar in
shape and size. All three handles widen at their endsAnother handle stamped Imlk hbrn with a two-
and have a similar section; they are wide and not
winged symbol was discovered in the same locus,
very thick, with two ridges on one side. The two
either on the same or the following day, and was
handles which were compared differ at present ingiven the excavation number 867 (fig. 6).' Locus SE
their surface color, one being lighter than the other,
23 A-7 is a small room which forms part of a house
but this could have occurred during or since the
typical of Stratum A (Albright 1943: pl. 3). The
destruction of Room 1089. The ware and the texture
of the core, however, are clearly similar, dark brown 'In the published report Albright (1943: 182) stated that both
in color with small white grits. Furthermore, both handles were found on 26 June 1930. However, in the excavation
catalog that is kept in the archives of the Israel Department of
handles are still attached to a small section of the
Antiquities and Museums it is stated that Handle no. 860 was
storage jar's body. In both cases the inside of thefound on the 26th, but Handle no. 876 was discovered on the
storage jar looks similar, portraying a similar
following day, 27 June 1930.
?.: :..i
1'::
'it
.ii:?i. .~?PPPIM Iiii. P I:Mls
.,.~~~... ,,i:~~iii~ ?c :
4 tQ
_ i :i- i ? ... ":: ....
s,
Fig. 5. Handle no. 860 from Tell Beit Mirsim stamped Plyqm ncr ywkn.
?~?? :,; I:i

........
.,S.,o
fsf: f
WE
.... ~r~i
:M usf
Fig. 6. Handle no. 867 from Tell B
room is enclosed by
distinguished two levels with a
identical pottery, stone
and w
the fourth the handle with the is
side private stamp
wide was found in the open a
The area outside
upper one: "The pottery of the the lower level inroom
this p
entrance, may well have been considered by area is identical in character with the pottery above
Albright as part of the same locus. The stone walls it, and the latter includes two stamped jar handles
of the room were apparently preserved to a height ofbearing the impression of the seal of Eliakim..."
about 90 cm. above floor level, as we learn from the(Albright 1943: 66). No additional data are given in
elevation points given in the plan. The house in the report about the circumstances of the discovery
which our handles were found was probably similar and the context of the handles.
in appearance and in state of preservation to other The fact that the two handles were found at the
houses of this level, such as the neighboring house same time in one clearly defined locus at a site where
(Albright 1943: pl. 33a). In this area Albrightstamped storage jar handles are so scarce seems to
US
CMS
Fig. 7. Handle no 580 from Tell Beit Mirsim stamped Imlk hbrn with a two-winged symbol.
3
CM~S
Fig. 8. Handle no. 579 from Tell Beit Mirsim stamped Imlk hbrn with a two-winged symbol.
quite possible that they could be from the same jar. The
indicate that the two handles may have belonged to
ware, size, and shape are quite similar. I do not know that
the same storage jar. Their similarity in size and
there is any way you can prove that this is so, but I would say
shape is apparent in the photograph published there
in is a good probability.
the report (Albright 1932b: 92, pl. 40:4-5) and in the
new ones shown in figs. 5-6. Both handles are keptTheat observations of Mrs. Lapp, who has so much
present in the Bible Lands Museum in Pittsburgh, experience in the field of Palestinian pottery, speak
PA, where they were examined at my request by for the themselves. It seems that there is a good case for
reconstructing the two handles in question in one
Curator, Nancy L. Lapp. After studying the handles
storage jar.
she gave me her opinion in a letter of 9 April 1975:
One handle stamped Imlk hbrn with a two-
After careful examination of the Elyakim handle (no. 860) winged symbol was discovered on 4 May 1928 in
and the "royal" seal handle (no. 867), I would say that it Room
is SE 31 A-2 and was given the excavation
I,
?~1*;?;~;, fY r:
..Xi j iv :~ ?~
T'':? 3
t
s? s' f?` ?
r;v -' t?? 't i.
r ?~u*
~G: ~
~1?' ;d~' I IR~uFl~t~F~PX?~"c~i~F;?,~ a?:
Fig. 9. Handle no. 623 from Tell
Beit Mirsim stamped Pllyqm n' r l~f;: ? E~r 'y~I?-:~q
iwkn.
r~X,?
*.Sr?', Fi
*? ?. it: "~T~'?~
1?.??
?i?~',7;~'~L*?~'";
~6r~iZ~E~ ~~k;iia~c~i~j; *;~?A ? ii' '?

I "' ' '
?Itr"' ?:
~:""~~JIF?PI~*~AL~b~F~~~~?~ilF.I~I~~-r'~~'
ii r'l
ir
1* ?1E~1-1 t a
.?? grj.
r
: ? 1F I, Lx "li i~E~f~
~i??ti le r
.i\
t '' r
I ?I.
.+??r?l
*t?'
'"""
:.r. r15`
I?~. ;t:;?~d'i??
*:E:
?? ~4 ~ii~ ...
::X i
F fjl q
c;~
i., r?
a. ??? I
t~;~F
*?r. ,ic.Jr
L ~t :
number 579. A second

conclusion can be handle of t
strengthened by another
discovered in an argument. The whole area
adjoining east of roomof
room SE 31 A-3
th
SE 31 A-3, on was not
the excavated andday
same no other finds
or fromthe
here are
and was given the excavation
marked number
in the list of finds. On the other hand, it is
Albright 1943: stated
177, 210,
in the published pls.
excavation report4, 2
that our
handles are apparently stamped
handle was found "with the pottery" ofwith
the upper
as no. 867 whichlevel
was(Albright discussed abo
1943: 66), thus indirectly but clearly
implying
IIB 1 according to that the handle wasdivision
Welten's recovered in the
house in which these handles were found is located excavation and was not a surface find. As the
at the edge of the excavation area and was onlyclearings in our assumed room are probably the
partly cleared. It has stone walls and in generalonly unmarked clearings which took place "east of
resembles other houses of Stratum A. The elevation SE 31 A-3," we have to conclude that our stamped
points given in the published excavation plan handle was unearthed here.
indicate that in this house the walls of Rooms SE 31 The two handles carrying a royal stamp (nos. 579
A- I and 3 were preserved to a height of about 50 cm. and 580) and the handle carrying a private stamp
above floor level. The walls of Room SE 31 A-2 (no. 623) were found at about the same time, in the
were only partly preserved, probably reaching a level, in the same area, and probably in the
same
similar height above floor level; however, since same
no house. Both the royal as well as the private
elevation point of the room's floor is given inseal-impressions
the in these handles were stamped with
plan, this is only an assumption. Nothing more
theisseals used to stamp handles nos. 860 and 867,
known about this house and the discovery of which,
the as shown above, could have belonged to one
stamped handles. The second handle bearing storage
the jar. These facts naturally raise the suspicion
private stamp1 lyqm nc rywkn was found on 7 that
May here we may have a case similar to the one
1928 and was given the excavation number 623 (fig. involving stamped handles nos. 860 and 867. In this
9; Albright 1943: 178, 210-11, pls. 29:6,9, 60:8). The
instance, however, it was not possible to compare
provenance of the handle is given as "E of SE 31visually
A- all the stamped handles, as the two handles
3" by the published excavation report. The bearing a royal stamp (nos. 579 and 580) are in the
excavation catalog defines it as a "room east of.. Bible
." Lands Museum, Pittsburgh, and the handle
rather than "E of . . ." as in the report.3 It seems
with a private stamp (no. 623) is kept in the
logical to assume that the handle was found in the Rockefeller Museum, Jerusalem (P.A.M. no. I
room east of and adjacent to room SE 31 A-3 4936). Something, however, could still be done.
(Albright 1943: pls. 1, 4). Here apparently was First, Mrs. Lapp examined the two stamped royal
another room of the same house which adjoins both handles (nos. 579, 580) in Pittsburgh and came to
rooms SE 31 A-2 and 3. This room was hardly the conclusion that they belonged to two different
excavated at all, as it is not shown or numbered in storage jars. In her own words (letter dated 9 April
the published excavation plan. However, the stone 1975):
walls which are common to Rooms SE 31 A-2 and 3
and our assumed room are shown in detail, with Their ware seems to be quite different. One is dark gray and
reddish brown, and the other is a much lighter gray. It does
both their faces marked. This means that some
not seem to me that they could have come from the same jar.
clearing must have taken place in our assumed
I have tried to examine the texture and core of the handles;
room, at least beside these walls, and perhaps that is the breaks are not clean so it is a little difficult.
however,
where stamped handle no. 623 was found. This
Subsequently, I sent Mrs. Lapp drawings, photo-
graphs and a description of the handle with the
2According to the excavation catalog, stamped handle no. 580
private stamp in Jerusalem (no. 623) so that they
was found on 4 May, while according to the excavation report it
was found on 5 May 1928. The excavation catalog defines the could be compared to the handles in Pittsburgh with
provenance of the handles as SE 20 2-3. Such a locus is not the hope that it could be matched with one of them.
marked in the published excavation plan (Albright 1943: pl. 4). It Mrs. Lapp examined the material accordingly, and
seems that the numbering system of the grid was later changed; reached the following conclusion (letter of 16
hence we should accept the provenance of the handles as given in October 1975):
the published excavation report.
3As in the case of Handles nos. 579-580, and-probably for the
same reasons, the excavation catalog defines the locus as "room Concerning your second "Elyakim" handle (no. 623),
east of SE 20-3", instead of "room east of SE 31-3."
from your description I think it could well be part of the
same vessel as our "royal" handle no. 580. one

I would
storagealso
jar of the royal Judean storage jar type
describe it as double ribbed, dark brown-gray with a core of
were recovered and later restored; one handle
reddish brown, and many small white grits visible on the
carries the stamp of a private seal, l3lm (h) 'hsmk
surface. If it is possible to measure its width, I would say it is
3.8 centimeters wide. (Diringer 1941: 43-44, pl. 3:9; Inge 1941: 107, pl. 10;
Tufnell 1953: 109, 341, pls. 47A:9, 78:1, 5). This seal
Summing up, it seems that there is a good case for appears on another handle which was found at
suggesting that stamped handles nos. 580 and 623Lachish, though not in a stratified locus (Tufnell
belonged to one storage jar. If our assumptions are 1953: 341). The storage jar is kept in the Institute of
right, we have at Tell Beit Mirsim two storage jars, Archaeology in London, where it was examined by
each one carrying similar private and royal stamps, Pirhya Beck and me. The storage jar has one
which probably originate from the same workshop. stamped handle and two plain handles, rather than
The wider implications of these reconstructionsthree plain handles as one might conclude from the
should be stressed here. Albright identified ywkn of publications. The original fourth handle is missing
the private stamp Plykm ncrywkn with Jehoiachin,and was replaced by a handle made of gypsum at the
king of Judah. He assumed that Elyakim, the ownertime when the storage jar was restored. The missing
of the seal, had been Jehoiachin's steward and that handle is situated beside the stamped handle and
he exercised ministerial authority in Judah after thenot opposite it. With this evidence in view it would
king had gone into exile in 597 B.C., at a time when be reasonable to suppose that the missing handle
Jehoiachin was still considered king dejure by thebore a royal stamp. Furthermore, an examination
men of Judah (Albright 1932a: 77-106; 1943: 66-67, of the storage jar shows that most of its parts were
n. 9). That identification was widely accepted, andrecovered, and the only conspicuous part which is
its acceptance meant that the handles carrying now missing is the handle in question. At Starkey's
Elyakim's seal were dated after 597 and before 586 excavation not all the pieces of pottery were
B.C. Two more storage jar handles stamped with thegathered and kept for further study, but all stamped
same seal, Ic lykm ncr ywkn, were discovered in the handles found on the surface or in the excavation
excavations of Beth Shemesh ( Ain Shems) andwere systematically collected. We ought to reckon
Ramat Rahel (Grant and Wright 1939: 80, fig. 10a:with the possibility that a stamped handle belonging
2; Aharoni 1964: 33, fig. 37:6, pl. 40:4). The fact thatto the storage jar was removed and placed with the
Elyakim's stamped handles wvere discovered at Tell other stamped handles before it was decided to
Beit Mirsim, Beth Shemesh, and Ramat Rahel assemble the other fragments of the storage jar with
served as a clear indication that the latest Judean the aim of restoring it. It is impossible to prove
whether this was a royal storage jar or not.
settlement in these places came to an end not before
the Babylonian conquest of Judah in 588-586 B.c. Nevertheless, the fact that one handle is missing is
(Aharoni 1973: 6; Albright 1975: 178). It is very important for another reason. As long as the
universally agreed, however, that the royal Judean storage jar was considered to have had three plain
storage jars are earlier in date than the 6th century
handles, it was possible to argue that a private
B.C. Therefore, the acceptance of our suggested
stamp could appear on storage jars of that type
reconstruction of the Tell Beit Mirsim royal storage
without a royal stamp. This argument can no longer
jars means that the Elyakim handles antedatebe used.
Jehoiachin's reign; in that case Albright's The evidence reviewed in this study is still too
identification of ywkn with Jehoiachin becomesscanty to enable us to draw clear-cut conclusions.
impossible, as has been noted on other grounds asNevertheless, a few things should be pointed out. It
well (Liver 1958: 524-25; Malamat 1975: 138, n. 34).is a proven fact that in some cases storage jar
Also, in consequence, the handles stamped Plykmhandles with private stamps belonged to royal
ncr ywkn cannot be used as proof that Judean Tell storage jars. However, if our suggested reconstruc-
Beit Mirsim, Beth Shemesh, and Ramat Rahel were tions of the storage jars from Tell Beit Mirsim and
destroyed in 588-586 B.c., and not before. Room 1089 at Lachish are correct, then we can
Finally, we turn back to Starkey's excavations at consider the possibility that other handles stamped
Lachish. Locus 1008 is a room which was destroyed with the same private seals may have belonged to
by fire, probably when Level III was destroyed. similar storage jars carrying the same royal stamps.
Various pottery vessels placed in this room were This applies to six handles stamped milm 'hmlk
crushed at that time, and buried under the debrisfrom Lachish; in this connection it should be noted
(Tufnell 1953: 109, pls. 20:4, 115). The fragments of that 11 handles stamped Imlk gwkh with a two-
winged symbol were

impressed on one handle.discove
The fourth variati
addition to handle no. 7165 from Room 1089 depends on the acceptance of our reconstruction
(Tufnell 1953: 346). At least two of these stamps
the glm (h) 'hsmk storage jar from Lachish
(Tufnell 1953: pl. 46:11-12) were impressedroyal
withstorage jar. In that case the jar contained t
Seal S IIA 1 (Welten's division) like the stamps on
stamped handles situated one beside the other, o
our reconstructed storage jars, though according
carrying
to a royal and one carrying a private stam
Diringer (1941: 97), not all of these handles were
The most important observation, based with d
stamped with the same seal. Significantly,reservations
one on the present limited evidence, is
handle stamped milm 'hmlk and one handle private stamps appear on royal storage jars beari
stamps with the two-winged symbol and not
stamped Imlk gwkh with a two-winged symbol
originate from the same general area, at the bearing a stamp with a four-winged sca
those
southern end of the Judean palace-fort, defined
Weas
should stress here three points. First, all hand
bearing a private stamp which could be associ
K.14/J. 14: AG (Tufnell 1953: 341-42). In addition,
with royal storage jars are linked to those carry
this applies also to the two handles stamped lPlyqm
ncr ywkn from Beth Shemesh and Ramat Rahel; stamps
in with a two-winged symbol. Second, all
this connection it should be noted that a few handles
storage jars bearing royal stamps with a two-win
stamped Imlk hbrn with a two-winged symbolsymbol were which are so far known, i.e., the two stor
found at Beth Shemesh (Grant and Wright jars 1939:from Lachish which were discussed above, al
have
84). Since their photographs were not published, it a private stamp. Third, none of the fou
is not known whether one or more of them were storage jars bearing royal stamps with a fou
stamped with Seal H IIB 1 (Welten's division) likewinged symbol which have so far been excav
the Tell Beit Mirsim handles. Four handles stamped and restored at Lachish have a private stamp.5
with this seal were found at Ramat Rahel
(Aharoni's Type a; Aharoni 1962: pl. 29:6; 1964: 62- Acknowledgements
63, pl. 38:6). There may also be other casesThiswherestudy could not have been carried
royal storage jars bearing private stampswithout
could bethe kind help of the following colleague
reconstructed.4 Mrs. N. L. Lapp examined the Tell Beit Mirsi
It seems clear that there is no uniform or handles in Pittsburgh, provided their photograp
consistent pattern in the arrangement of thewhich
private
are used here in figs. 5-8, and permitted m
and royal stamps on the storage jars, and wequote
knowher opinions. Prof. J. D. Evans, Directo
of three or four different arrangementstheof Institute
the of Archaeology of London Universi
stamps. First, storage jar no. 10074 fromenabled
Lachishme to study the Lachish material kept th
contains two handles carrying a royal stampMr.
which
A. Eitan, Director of the Israel Department
are positioned beside each other and one plain
Antiquities and Museums, allowed me to take
handle as well as one handle bearing a stamped
private handles from Room 1089 at Lachish
stamp. Second, storage jar no. 10457 fromLondon.
Lachish Mrs. R. Hestrin and Mrs. M. Day
contains two handles with the royal stamp situated
enabled me to study the lilyqm ncr ywkn han
adjacent to each other and two handles bearing
kept ina Jerusalem. Dr. Pirhiya Beck examined
private stamp side by side. Third, the storage jar material in London at my request. Mr
relevant
handle from Ramat Rahel which bears two stamps
(Aharoni 1962: 16-17, fig. 14:2, pl. 6:2) represents a
5They include one storage jar found by Starkey (cf. Dirin
type of storage jar in which both stamps were
1941: 91-92; Inge 1941: 107, pl. 10; Tufnell 1953: 108, pl. 78
and three storage jars which were discovered by us. These sto
jars will be published in our forthcoming preliminary excavat
4Cf., for instance, the following case. The register of finds from
report in Tel Aviv. Two points of qualification should be m
Room 1015 (Level III) at Lachish mentions two handleshere.
carrying
First, a fifth such storage jar was found by S. Yeivin at
an unpublished private stamp (probably 'pn) as well as one
CErani (Hestrin 1973: no. 80). It has three handles with a r
handle stamped Imlk hbrn with a four-winged scarabstamp; and one
the surface of the fourth handle is damaged at the
handle stamped Imlk zp with a two-winged symbol. Another
where a fourth stamp was probably applied; theoretically it c
such Imlk zp handle was found in the adjoining, contemporary
have been a private stamp. Second, all five complete r
room no. 1017 (cf. Tufnell 1953: 110-11). I tried to locate these
storage jars mentioned carry Imlk hbrn stamps, and it can
handles in London so as to compare them, but I couldargued
not find
that these storage jars are not determinative with re
those with the private stamp. At any rate, there is a good
to chance
the possible use of private stamps on royal storage
that Room 1015 contained a royal storage jar bearing two privateImlk z (y)p, Imlk mmPt or Imlk swkh with a four-wi
stamped
stamps. scarab.
Alon and Mr. H. Geva gave me data Mr. on the prepared

B. Lavery handle the photos in figs. 5-8; and
Mr.in
with a private stamp recently found M. Room
Weinberg the photograph in fig. 1. Miss A.
1089
in Lachish and allowed me to use this material here. Kek prepared the drawings in figs. 1-4. I am
Mr. A. Hai prepared the photographs in figs 2-4, 9; indebted to all of them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aharoni, Y. Grant, E. and Wright, G. E.

1962 Excavations at Ramat Rahel, Seasons 1959-1960. 1939 Ain Shems Excavations (Palestine), Part V. Biblical
Rome: Universita degli studi, Centro di studi and Kindred Studies no. 8. Haverford: Haverford
semitici. College.
1964 Excavations at Ramat Rahel, Seasons 1961-1962. Hestrin, R.
Rome: Universita degli studi, Centro di studi 1973 Inscriptions Reveal. Jerusalem: Israel Museum.
semitici. Inge, C. H.
1967 Seals and Royal Functionaries from Arad. Eretz- 1941 Post-Scriptum. Palestine Exploration Quarterly:
Israel 8: 101-3. (Hebrew; English summary 71*). 106-9.
1973 Beer-Sheba I. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology, Tel Lance, H. D.
Aviv University. 1971 The Royal Stamps and the Kingdom of Josiah.
1975 Investigations at Lachish (Lachish V). Tel Aviv: Harvard Theological Review 64: 316-32.
Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University. Liver, J.
1958 Jehoiachin. Cols. 524-25 in Encyclopedia Biblica III.
Albright, W. F. Jerusalem: Bialik Institute.
1932a The Seal of Eliakim and the Latest Preexilic History Malamat, A.
of Judah, with Some Observations on Ezekiel. 1975 The Twilight of Judah in the Egyptian-Babylonian
Journal of Biblical Literature 51: 77-106. Maelstrom. Supplements to Vetus Testomentum
1932b The Excavation of Tell Beit Mirsim I: The Pottery of 28:123-45.
the First Three Campaigns. Annual of the American Naveh, J.

Schools of Oriental Research 12. 1968 A Palaeographic Note on the Distribution of the
1943 The Excavation of Tell Beit Mirsim, III: The Iron Hebrew Script. Harvard Theological Review 61: 68-
Age. Annual of the American Schools of Oriental 74.
Research 21-22. Pritchard, J. B.
1975 Tell Beit Mirsim. In Encyclopedia of Archeological 1959 Hebrew Inscriptions and Stamps from Gibeon.
Excavations in the Holy Land, Vol. I, ed. M. Avi- Philadelphia: Univeristy Museum, University of
Yonah. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society. Pennsylvania.
Tufnell, O.
Diringer, D. 1953 Lachish III: The Iron Age. London: Oxford
1941 On Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions Discovered at Tell University.
ed-Duweir (Lachish). Palestine Exploration Welten, P.
Quarterly: 38-56, 89-106. 1969 Die K'nigs-Stempel. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

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Royal Judean Storage Jars and Private Seal Impressions

Author(s): David Ussishkin

The American Schools of Oriental Research is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize,

Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Israel

The present excavation project at Tell Lachish

Copyright @ 1976 by the American Schools of Oriental Research

Fig. 1. Storage jar no.

Fig. 2. Storage jar no. 10074 from

Fig. 3. Storage jar no. 10457 from Lac

?i:. r ... ..:..C: . . o ,,: ,

I:L'RP ' ' Y '"

I ,- . .., ...... r. "

Fig. 4. Storage jar no. 10457 from Lachish. left: a

archeology pattern of the

_ i :i- i ? ... ":: ....

?~?? :,; I:i

Fig. 6. Handle no. 867 from Tell B

~6r~iZ~E~ ~~k;iia~c~i~j; *;~?A ? ii' '?

number 579. A second

same vessel as our "royal" handle no. 580. one

winged symbol were

Alon and Mr. H. Geva gave me data Mr. on the prepared

Aharoni, Y. Grant, E. and Wright, G. E.

the First Three Campaigns. Annual of the American Naveh, J.

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