Artifacts with Biblical names found

Some people wonder why much of the Bible is "boring" lists of names. Others think the Bible is just made up stories. Both need to realize that archaeology is uncovering genuine proofs of the authenticity of the names and events in the Bible. The most recent event is dramatic illustration of this.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218710405007&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

A 2,600 year old clay seal impression, or bulla, bearing the name Gedaliah ben Pashur has recently been uncovered completely intact during archaeological excavations in Jerusalem's ancient City of David, located just below the walls of the Old City near the Dung Gate.

The name appears in the Book of Jeremiah (38:1) together with that of Yehuchal ben Shelemayahu, whose name was found on an identical clay bulla in the same area in 2005. The two men were ministers in the court of King Zedekiah, the last king to rule in Jerusalem before the destruction of the First Temple.

According to Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University who is leading the dig, this is the first time in the annals of Israeli archeology that two clay bullae with two Biblical names that appear in the same verse in the Bible have been unearthed in the same location.

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Here is what you need to understand in order to truly marvel at these discoveries. First, here is the Biblical verse cited above where the names appear:

Jeremia 38:1-2. Saphatia, son of Mathan, Godolia, son of Phassur, Juchal, son of Selemia, and Phassur, son of Melchia, heard Jeremia speaking these words to all the people: Thus says the Lord: He who remains in this city shall die by sword, or famine, or pestilence; but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be spared him as booty and he shall live.

Jeremia was a great prophet of God who guided people in what the Lord wanted them to do during the fall of Jerusalem and the capture of the Israelite populace by the Babylonians.

So what you need to observe is that two of the courtiers who listened to one of the public prophecies of Jeremia, as documented in the Bible, have been proven to exist through the discovery of two clay seals, each bearing a separate name. And these were not common names, and they were both found in the same excavated part of what is believed to be King David's ancient city.

See, this is what I mean when I explain that the Bible can be believed because it is careful "witnessing." The Bible authors were careful to list "boring" names of people who witnessed (personally observed and can attest to the truth of) events. Thus four people are listed as having witnessed Jeremia's prophetic speech to the people (for which he was thrown into a well in a murder attempt) regarding the upcoming capture of the city and the people. And of the four people, their "signatures" (names found on a seals for document purposes) have now been found for two of them. Thus you have evidence that you can hold in your hands that two people who with their own eyes and ears witnessed the prophet Jeremia truly existed.