Bill Clark

This 8th century B.C. seal provides evidence that the now extinct lion once roamed the Judean Hills. Discovered in 1904 among Israelite remains at Megiddo, this personal seal belonged “to Shema” whose name is written in Hebrew script above the roaring lion. The inscription below the lion identifies Shema’s title as “servant of Jeroboam,” probably Jeroboam II, king of Israel from 783 B.C. to 743 B.C.

Fortunately the original exquisite jasper seal was cast in bronze shortly after it was found, because the original seal disappeared thereafter on a trip to Istanbul. Now this bronze replica is all that can be seen.