A Rare Second Temple Era Seal Unearthed Near the Western Wall

(Photo: Asaf Peri, City of David)

Have we uncovered the first-ever depiction of the balsam plant on an archaeological find near the Temple Mount?

During an archaeological sifting project at the base of the Western Wall, led by the City of David in the Zurim Valley National Park, participants were taken aback to uncover a tiny, purplish stone. This gem functioned as a seal from the Second Temple period, approximately 2,000 years ago.

The unique seal, the first of its kind globally, is made of precious amethyst stone with purple and lilac hues. It has a groove across it where a metal wire was inserted to wear the stone as a ring. The oval seal's small dimensions are: 10 mm in length, 5 mm in width, and 7 mm in thickness. It was used to seal documents and goods, serving also as a fashionable piece of jewelry.

The precious stone features engravings of two elements: the first shows a bird, likely a dove, next to a second element – a thick, long, curved branch with five fruits. After examining the find, researchers Eli Shukron, Prof. Shua Amorai-Stark, and Malchah Hershkovitz suggest that the plant depicted might be the famous balsam plant, cited in the Bible, Talmud, and historical sources.

The balsam, which likely bore no resemblance to today's balsam fruit, is described in sources as a valuable plant used for extracting medicines, ointments, and perfumes. It was even part of the incense offered in the Temple.

According to Shukron, who led the excavation at the foot of the Western Wall on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David, "This is an important find because this is the first time a seal stone depicting the valuable and renowned plant has been discovered, which until now we could only read about in sources and historical descriptions."

Prof. Amorai-Stark explained: "Towards the end of the Second Temple period, the use of stone seals began spreading and becoming more common. However, most seals discovered so far with plant depictions commonly feature plants prevalent in the Land of Israel at the time: grape, date, and olive, which are among the seven species. When we examined the seal, we immediately noticed that the fruit depicted did not match any of the previously encountered fruits."

"The dove is considered a positive symbol in Hellenistic, Roman, and Jewish worlds. It signifies wealth, happiness, goodness, and success," added Prof. Amorai-Stark. She noted that the engraving on the seal might indicate the identity of the person who wore the ring. "If it is indeed the famous and costly balsam fruit, then it is likely that the seal's owner was a well-to-do Jew, as the production and trade of balsam plants were controlled at that time by Jews living in the Dead Sea basin, where the plant was cultivated. The seal's owner might have been someone with a balsam orchard."