Found a sample signature the biblical prophet
A tiny clay fragment size of only 1 cm, retaining the stamp with the words that can be understood as “Isaiah the prophet”, discovered in East Jerusalem between the Temple mount and City of David.
The artefact was found in 2009 along with a seal impression of king Hezekiah at a distance of three meters, reports Live Science.
ICYMI: This Seal Is the Earliest Evidence of the Prophet Isaiah? https://t.co/hj3eZ8GBI8 pic.twitter.com/hU11OaJ5Es
— Live Science (@LiveScience) February 23, 2018
The prophet Isaiah lived in the eighth century BC To 701 year Jerusalem besieged by the Assyrian army. King Hezekiah followed the advice of the prophet Isaiah and surrendered the city. The Bible says that “the angel of the Lord” destroyed the army of the Assyrians (though the ancient records of the Assyrians indicate a great tribute paid by Hezekiah).
Dr. Eilat Mazar from the Institute of archaeology of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, who led the excavations, suggests that the inscription on the seal may be the earliest physical evidence of the biblical prophet.
It can be read as “Yeshaˈyah[u] NVY”. The first word is the name “Isaiah”, which translated from Hebrew means “the Lord saves”. The second could mean “the prophet”: the word is spelled with the letter “Aleph” at the end, but the Bible is sometimes found without it like on the print. Thus, the imprint may be the first archaeological and the earliest extra-biblical witness of the prophet Isaiah.