"One cannot help being astonished by the credibility of the Biblical source as seen by the archaeological find."

(Jerusalem)—A 2,500-year-old black stone seal bearing the name "Temech" on it was uncovered during an excavation near Jerusalem's Dung Gate this week. (Photo: Edwin Trebels courtesy of Dr. Eilat Mazar)

The 7th chapter of the Book of Nehemiah indicates that the Temech family were servants of the First Temple who were sent into exile to Babylon following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC. and later returned to Jerusalem.

According to a Jerusalem Post report, the seal is engraved with two bearded priests standing on either side of an incense altar with their hands raised forward in a position of worship. A crescent moon, the symbol of the chief Babylonian god Sin, also appears on the top of the altar.

The Israeli archeologist leading the dig, Dr. Eilat Mazar, said: "The fact that this cultic scene relates to the Babylonian chief god, seemed not to have disturbed the Jews who used it on their own seal. The seal of the Temech family gives us a direct connection between archeology and the Biblical sources and serves as actual evidence of a family mentioned in the Bible. One cannot help being astonished by the credibility of the Biblical source as seen by the archaeological find."