Israeli archaeologists recently discovered a rare 2,500-year-old seal during excavations inside the City of David.
What made the seal so significant is that it showed the woman who owned it had legal status, allowing her to conduct business and possess property.
“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,” researchers said.
The discovery affirms how the Bible addresses the role of women.
The book of Proverbs (31:13-23) states that an ideal wife is responsible for providing for the needs of her household when her husband is engaged in public and legal affairs at the city gate: “She seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands … Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.”
Archaeologist Yana Tchekhanovetes told CBN News about the discovery:
“Inside this building, as a result of very gentle work that includes sifting of the finds, sifting of the airs in order to find all the tiny artifacts, we discovered, among other stuff, two Hebrew seals: one with the name of a man, Sa’aryahu ben Shabenyahu, and another one with the name of a woman, Elihana bat Gael.” {eoa}
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