An exceptionally fine and published LMLK royal seal storage jar handle; more crisp and clear than I've ever seen.

LMLK (Lamed-Mem-Lamed-Kaf, commonly pronounced "L'melekh", means "belonging to the king.

This example, of the Type H2U,  reads  "Belonging to the King - Hebron" is  from a terracotta royal storage  jar from the time of king Hezekiah of Judah (725-698 BC).

This king conspired against the Assyrian overlord Sennacherib (705-681 BC) who then destroyed the city of Lachish and besieged the Judean capital Jerusalem in the year 701 BC.

The seal impressions hows , a winged sun disk which is the symbol of the Judean king. It represents Jahweh, the God of Israel:  a symbol adopted from Assyria (Shamash).

These store jars contained wine and/or olive oil and were manufactured in the low hills to the west of the kingdom.

This jar handle was published in the USA in the magazine Biblical Archaeology Review 31:5 (2005) in the article by J. Chadwick, "Discovering Hebron". It can also be seen on the official archaeological site flyer for the information office at Hebron andis listed on this website as well.

 It is undoubtedly one of the best around and a jar handle with the same impression was recently found at the Judean palace of Ramat Rachel.

110 mm.

Judean, 725 BC - 698 BC.

From the Dr Peter van der Veen collection.