Archaeology Review>> Archaeological Articles >>Baruch Bulla

Factually hundreds of Hebrew seals and seal impersonations have been found in the last century. These hard-bitten clay seal impersonations are known as "bullae" (sg. bulla).
	In biblical Israel, papyrus was the main form of writing substance. Once an authorized deed was written, it would be rolled up, one end crinkled in one-third of the width and the contrary end likewise folded in. The document, now abridged by folding, was joined with a string and a lump of clay was impressed on the entwined string. Then the higher facade of the clay lump was impressed with the signet ring of the possessor of the document or its writer. These types of documents were hoard in temple or palace records, with the uninterrupted seal guaranteeing the soundness of the credentials contents.
For a time during the 1970's, a bulla having the stamp and name of the scribe of Jeremiah came into sight on the antiquities market and was obtained by a collector, Dr. R. Hecht. He allowed Israeli archaeologist Nahman Avigad to circulate the bulla, which came from an unrevealed place, now considering being the "burnt house" dug up by Yigal Shiloh. The bulla is currently in the Israel Museum. It measures 17 by 16 mm, and is imprinted with an oval seal, 13 by 11 mm. A solitary line borders the impression, and it is separated by double straight lines into three records bearing the inscription below "Belonging to Berechiah son of Neriah the scribe". The script which is used is the pre-exilic ancient Hebrew linear script, quite than the post-exilic script taken on by Jews from the current Aramaic script. Reading the Hebrew from right to left, the first letter, Heb (l), is the preposition "to, belonging to," and the last three letters, heb. (Yhw)is an abridged form of the name of God, Heb. (yhwh), the shortened form was likely pronounced "yahu." Baruch's is a name which means "Blessed of the Lord (Yahweh)." This bulla was with no doubt from the notion of Baruch ben Neriah, the scribe who wrote to the transcription of the prophet Jeremiah. Avigad articulated his personal feelings as he worked with the Baruch Bulla as having the feeling "of special contact with people who figure outstandingly in the staged events in which the giant figure of Jeremiah and his realistic follower Baruch were drawn in at a most serious time earlier the breakdown of Judah." Avigad also published a seal bearing the inscription "Belonging to Seraiah (ben) Neriah." Seriah was the "chief chamberlain" in the court of King Zedekiah (Jer 51:59).He escorted the king to Babylon, and he carried a written oracle from the prophet Jeremiah looking for the final annihilation of Babylon, which he was to read out loud on his coming in the city, then to throw the deed into the Euphrates (Jer 59:64). Seriah ben Neriah was the brother of Baruch ben Neriah, and together were close pals of the prophet Jeremiah.