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.
ContestéObjetclaimed 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.
- Découvert
- Unknown — surfaced on the antiquities market, 1975 — No excavation context
- Conservé à
- Israel Museum and private collections
- Langue
- Hebrew
- Comment il nous est parvenu
- Fouillé, ou encore debout là où il fut bâti.
Ce qu'elle montre
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.
Ce qu'en font les historiens
Frequently reproduced in popular books; treated with caution or set aside in academic epigraphy, precisely because it lacks provenance.
Dans l'Écriture
Se rattache à
Sources
- Rollston, "Non-Provenanced Epigraphs", Maarav 11 (2004)
- Bulla of Baruch ben Neriah — overview and the authenticity debate
Ces textes sont pour l'instant en anglais. Les traductions suivront.