The Sifting Project at the 50th Archaeological Congress: A Seal Impression from the Days of Josiah and the Evolution of the Eastern Temple Mount

Last Thursday, the 50th Archaeological Congress was held in Israel, featuring two important presentations by the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

A New Biblical Seal Impression In the first lecture, Anat Mendel-Geberovich and Zachi Dvira presented their initial research findings on the seal impression of “Yeda‛yah (son of) Asayah,” discovered this past summer. The presentation proposed identifying the “Asaiah” mentioned on the seal with the biblical figure “Asaiahu the king’s servant.” This official served during the reign of King Josiah and was a member of the royal delegation sent to Huldah the prophetess (2 Kings 22:12). Additionally, the lecture addressed two main issues: the specific meaning of the term “son” (Ben), and a comparative statistical analysis of the distribution of identified biblical figures within the archaeological record in Jerusalem and Judah. Further details will be published online following the release of the upcoming scientific article.

Site Formation Processes on the Eastern Temple Mount The second lecture, by Zachi Dvira and Dr. Gabriel Barkay (z”l), provided research updates regarding the site formation processes on the eastern Temple Mount, which have led to a rise in the surface level since the Middle Ages. The presentation introduced a comprehensive methodology that combines the analysis of topographical and stratigraphical data, a reassessment of the construction phases of the Eastern Wall, cross-referencing with historical accounts of pilgrims, and a quantitative-statistical analysis of the ceramic and its preservation attributes recovered in the sifting. An article summarizing this research will also be published shortly.

Watch the lecture here (in Hebrew):