Of the various types of artifacts from ancient Israel that can be found in the Holy Land today, seal impressions are arguably among the most significant. These impressions were made by pressing seals into clay to secure documents and containers. Since seals were often used by officials, they serve as preserved signatures, sometimes even pointing to figures mentioned in Scripture.
JNS reports that by the end of the year, the Temple Mount Sifting Project will release findings on a First Temple-era seal impression that may be connected to the biblical account of King Josiah.
The clay impression, recovered by the project, bears the name “Yeda‘yah (son of) Asayahu.” Researchers have tentatively linked the father’s name to Asaiah, an adviser to King Josiah mentioned in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. The identification remains a possibility, not an established match.
“We just got the peer review correction that we have to do,” (Zachi) Dvira (Temple Mount Sifting Project Director) told JNS. The forthcoming research paper will expand on findings presented at an archaeological conference earlier this year.
The seal impression, found in 2025, is one of approximately 35 First Temple-period seal impressions recovered by the project. Its significance lies partly in the name, partly in its Temple Mount provenance—and partly in what such objects reveal about the administration of ancient Jerusalem.
Because Asayahu is an uncommon name, Dvira believes there is a good chance that the seal belonged to the adviser’s son. Publishing the findings will allow historians and other scholars to evaluate the theory themselves. Another significant detail is that the seal may have been used by the treasury administration, based on comparisons with similar artifacts found in other temples and palaces.
Dvira has been the driving force behind the Temple Mount Sifting Project since co-founding it in 2004 with archaeologist Gabriel Barkay, who passed away in January. Over the past 22 years, so many seals, pottery fragments, and other artifacts have been uncovered that it will take decades to fully analyze the backlog of discoveries. The findings expected to be published in December represent just one of thousands of discoveries made by the project.
King Josiah was one of the youngest kings of Judah, ascending to the throne at just eight years old and reigning from 640 to 609 BCE. He is best known for his spiritual reforms, as many of his people had turned to idolatry and strayed from God’s Word (2 Kings 22:11). In the 18th year of his reign, he renewed the covenant with God before the elders of Judah and Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:1–3). Among King Josiah’s reforms were the reinstitution of Passover, which had not been observed in such a manner since the time of the judges, and the removal of pagan altars and places of idolatrous worship.