The "Baruch son of Neriah" bullae
Unprovenanced: bought, not excavated. No stratified example of this seal is known, and its authenticity is questioned by epigraphers.
DisputedObjectclaimed late 7th century BC
Two clay seal impressions reading "Belonging to Berekhyahu son of Neriyahu, the scribe" — the full form of the name of Jeremiah's secretary Baruch. They surfaced on the antiquities market in 1975 with no excavation context, and no example has been found in a dig. Specialists in Hebrew epigraphy have questioned their authenticity, including a fingerprint once publicised as Baruch's own.
Belonging to Berekhyahu son of Neriyahu, the scribe.
- Found
- Unknown — surfaced on the antiquities market, 1975 — No excavation context
- Now held at
- Israel Museum and private collections
- Language
- Hebrew
- How it reached us
- Dug up, or still standing where it was built.
What it shows
Unprovenanced. Without an excavation context there is no way to test the object against its findspot, which is why academic epigraphy treats market-bought bullae with caution.
How historians use it
Frequently reproduced in popular books; treated with caution or set aside in academic epigraphy, precisely because it lacks provenance.
In Scripture
Connects to
Sources
- Rollston, "Non-Provenanced Epigraphs", Maarav 11 (2004)
- Bulla of Baruch ben Neriah — overview and the authenticity debate
These summaries are written in English for now. Translations follow.