The Lion Stamp Impressions from Judah: Typology, Distribution, Iconography, and Historical Implications. A Preliminary Report

We examine here the typology, distribution, iconography and the historical-cultural implications of seal impressions depicting a lion as a lone motif stamped on handles of storage-jars from Judah. These seals were part of an administrative-economic network run by the governing authorities of Judah d...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ornan, Tallay (Author) ; Lipschits, Oded (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Peeters [2020]
In: Semitica
Year: 2020, Volume: 62, Pages: 69-91
RelBib Classification:HB Old Testament
HH Archaeology
KBL Near East and North Africa
TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
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Description
Summary:We examine here the typology, distribution, iconography and the historical-cultural implications of seal impressions depicting a lion as a lone motif stamped on handles of storage-jars from Judah. These seals were part of an administrative-economic network run by the governing authorities of Judah during the Babylonian rule and in the early phase of the Persian-Achaemenid rule of Judah. The type of storage jars and the very habit of stamping handles on such containers continued as a local administrative practice attested from the late eighth century to the second century in Judah. The current corpus is comprised of some 136 jar handles, a majority of which were found at Ramat Raḥel. Most stamped impressions were uncovered in hill country sites around Ramat Raḥel, Jerusalem, and Nebi-Samwil. They were stamped by ten types of actual seals that are divided thematically to three major groups. The lions represented on these thematic sealings’ types alluded to Yahweh and most probably served as a stand-in of the god of Israel worshiped in Jerusalem.
Nous examinons ici les typologie, distribution, iconographie et implications historico-culturelles d’empreintes de sceaux sur anses de jarres judaïtes dont le seul motif est un lion. Ces sceaux faisaient partie intégrante d’un réseau administratif et économique durant la domination babylonienne et au début de l’époque achéménide. Le corpus actuel compte quelque 136 anses, dont la majorité a été exhumée à Ramat Raḥel. La plupart ont été découvertes dans les collines autour de Ramat Raḥel, Jérusalem et Nebi-Samwil. Dix types de sceaux sont attestés, répartis en trois principaux groupes thématiques. Les lions qui figurent sur ces types font allusion à Yahvé et servaient probablement de substitut au dieu d’Israël vénéré à Jérusalem.
ISSN:2466-6815
Contains:Enthalten in: Semitica
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2143/SE.62.0.3288852