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	Seal Provenance unknown Iron Age II, 7th century BCE Quartz H: 1.5; W: 1.1; Diam: 0.7 cm Accession number: 85.15.26
In ancient times, when only a small minority could read and write, seal impressions such as this one were used as a mark of ownership and as a means of authenticating documents, similar to signatures today. Some of these seals and impressions bear titles or names of officials mentioned in the Bible. Inscription: Side a: "(Belonging) to Pelayahu “who is over the corvée”" Side b: "(Belonging) to Pelayahu (son of) Mattityahu" Digital presentation of this object was made possible by: The Ridgefield Foundation, New York, in memory of Henry J. and Erna D. Leir