JERUSALEM: Seal impressions dating back 2,700 years were unveiled in Jerusalem this week, offering rare new details about the administration in the ancient Kingdom of Judah, including tax collection.

The kingdom, which lasted from around from around 940 to 586 BC before being destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, was centred in Jerusalem.

A few kilometres from the old city, in the modern day west Jerusalem neighbourhood of Arona, excavators from the Israel Antiquities Authority discovered the remains of a compound with parts of its ancient ashlar walls still visible.

The material found at the site — a few hundred metres from the US embassy — includes more than 120 broken clay jar handles bearing seal impressions that show the Hebrew word “lamelekh”, meaning “belonging to the king”.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2020