Rhodian Seal A unique archaeological find from the Temple Mount that dates from the reign of Antiochus, the seal stamped on the handle of a wine amphora is direct evidence of Greek rule in the area. The find was discovered at Emek Tzurim in the Temple Mount Sifting project. Archaeologists discovered the handle of a wine amphora that bore the round stamp of the Isle of Rhodes while sifting the archeological material from the Temple Mount. The stamp shows the rose symbol of the Isles of Rhodes and the following Greek inscription appears in the circle surrounding the rose: Ἐπὶ Θεαιδ̣[ήτου Ὑ]ακινθίου – in the year [of the reign of the eponym] Thaiaditus [in the month of] Hyancinthius.” The eponym, in this case Thaiaditus, was a high-ranking official whose year of office is named after him. The stamp dates from between 175 and 170 B.C.E., the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who looted the treasury of the Temple in Jerusalem and who attempted to introduce idol worship in the Temple. The stamp might be connected to the construction of the fortress of the Seleucid garrison in Jerusalem. The fortress, which was called the Acra, was constructed in the vicinity of the Temple Mount a short while after the stamping of the seal. This Rhodian seal impression belongs to the group of some 1,200 Rhodian and other … Continue reading Rhodian Seal