A 2,600-year-old seal, formerly used for signing documents, was recently found at an archaeological excavation site at Israel's City of David, within the Jerusalem Walls National Park.
It is distinctive partly because it belonged to a woman, one Elihana bat Gael. The fact that she evidently had legal status that allowed her to conduct business and own property made her different from most other women of the time.
Another seal was found nearby, belonging to a man named Sa'aryahu ben Shabenyahu. The two seals were found in a large building - that dates from Israel's First Temple period (1000-586 B.C.E.) - during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). This is taking place in what is currently a parking lot at the City of David.
"Finding seals that bear names from the time of the First Temple is hardly a commonplace occurrence, and finding a seal that belonged to a woman is an even rarer phenomenon," the researchers said.
The IAA has been excavating for more than nine years, and reached the level of ancient Jerusalem that dates to the First Temple time, only to find the two seals within a structure built of ashlars. The latter are a type of finely cut masonry. The archaeologists believe the building served as an administrative center.
"Personal seals, such as those of Elihana and Sa'aryahu, were used for signing documents, and were frequently inlaid as part of a ring that was worn by the owner. In antiquity they designated the identity, genealogy and status of the owner of the seal," said a statement from authorities with the IAA, including Doron Ben-Ami, Yana Tchekhanovets and Salome Cohen.
The woman's seal is made of semi-precious stone and mentions her name as well as her father's name.
Seals that belonged to women make up a very small percentage of all seals found in history because of the lesser economic status of women at the time. Many of the seals that were found with a woman's name included the father's name, indicating that her higher status rested with her original family, said Hagai Misgav of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Most likely, Elihana maintained right to financial independence and property holding even after her marriage, said Misgav.
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