Seal May Commemorate Samson

December 3, 2012

The scene engraved on the seal, the time period, and the location of the discovery all point to a probable reference to the story of Samson, the legendary heroic figure whose epic exploits included a victory in combat with a lion [Judg. 14:5–6].

The seal was discovered with other finds on the floor of an excavated house, dated by the archaeologists to the 12th century BC. Geographically, politically, and culturally, the stories surrounding Samson are set in this time period, also known as the period of the Judges, prior to the establishment of kingship in ancient Israel.

Source: Excerpts of an article by Edgar Asher, Ashernet

Photo Credit: Ashernet/Tel Aviv University