Seal from First Temple Period

February 1, 2013

According to Eli Shukron, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), “The name Matanyahu means ‘giving to God’…[and is] typical of names in the Kingdom of Judah in the latter part of the First Temple Period. To find a seal from the First Temple Period at the foot of the Temple Mount walls is rare and very exciting. This is a tangible greeting of sorts from a man named Matanyahu who lived here more than 2,700 years ago.”

Source: Excerpts of an article by Ashernet