(Times of Israel) Matti Friedman - A small stone seal at least 2,600 years old and bearing a Hebrew name has been found near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Tuesday. According to the ancient Hebrew inscription, the seal belonged to a man named Matanyahu, meaning "gift of God." "Finding something like this is like getting regards from a real person who lived here thousands of years ago," said Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Eli Shukron. Workers excavating a Roman-era drainage tunnel along the western side of the Temple Mount uncovered a structure from the time of the First Temple (before 586 BCE) and removed rubble that was then sifted by volunteers, resulting in the seal's discovery.
2012-05-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive