The City of David archaeological excavations have announced an important and momentous discovery. A bula (seal) bearing the name of Adoniyahu has been discovered in earth removed from adjacent to the Robinson Arch south of Temple Mount. There are three personages named Adoniyahu in Tanakh, including a son of Dovid HaMelech, and this is the first time the name has appeared on a seal. The seal dates to the 7th century B.C.E, which is the period of the Judean monarchy.
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The seal also describes the role of Adoniyahu, who was apparently the most distinguished officer in the court of the king of Judah.
The bula, which measures just one centimeter, has the words “Adoniyahu Asher Al HaBayit” ( Adoniyahu who oversees the house) inscribed in ancient Hebrew on it. In the book of Melakhim (1:18) the name Ovadyahu Asher Al Habayit appears, describing Ovadia, Achav’s faithful servant, who saved the prophets from Izevel.
During the period of Chizkiyahu, Yeshayahu mentions Elyakim Ben Chilkiyahu Asher Al HaBayit who conducted the negotiations with Sancheriv’s officer Ravshakeh.
Interestingly enough, a burial cave was discovered on the Mount of Olives with the inscription “…….yahu Asher Al HaBayit” and it was dated to the 7th century B.C.E. It could indeed belong to Adoniyahu but may belong to another of the officers.
Incredible and yet they say we weren’t there
I see an ad for the (Christian) Lancaster Theological Seminary on this page!! How does this happen? Are there no controls on advertising available to VIN to prevent such ads from showing up?
I guess they weren’t too frum back then to allow the name of H ashem in a persons name. Nowadays we need an apostrophe to write the name Arieh in Hebrew.