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Over 250 Type 484 jar handles were stamped with personal seals of at least 56 variations.  Only 3 known handles have both a LMLK impression & a personal seal ( a Z2U with #673; an unprovenanced H2U with #687 pictured below; an H2D from Ramat Rahel with #686; note that #686 & #687 have the same inscription but are different styles); only 2 restored jars have personal seals on some handles with LMLK impressions on the other ones (Jar 10457 & Jar 10074)--note that they are all 2-winged LMLK seals.  One unprovenanced handle has impressions from 2 different personal seals (Vaughn's numbers 1a & 1b).  Although some of the Biblical texts quoted below are from time periods long before the LMLK handles, they give a sense of what the Judean administration was like to help understand why the personal seals were on LMLK jars:

1CHRONICLES 27
25_And Azmaveth the son of Adiel was over the king's treasuries; & Jehonathan the son of Uzziah was over the storehouses in the field, in the cities, in the villages, & in the fortresses.
26_Ezri the son of Chelub was over those who did the work of the field for tilling the ground.
27_And Shimei the Ramathite was over the vineyards, & Zabdi the Shiphmite was over the produce of the vineyards for the supply of wine.
28_Baal-Hanan the Gederite was over the olive trees & the sycamore trees that were in the lowlands, & Joash was over the store of oil.
29_And Shitrai the Sharonite was over the herds that fed in Sharon, & Shaphat the son of Adlai was over the herds that were in the valleys.
30_Obil the Ishmaelite was over the camels, Jehdeiah the Meronothite was over the donkeys,
31_and Jaziz the Hagrite was over the flocks. All these were the officials over King David's property.

Though prophetic with no specific reign referenced (unless it is interpreted in a limited fashion for Saul), this text also describes the allotment of government workers:

1SAMUEL 8
14_And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, & your olive groves, & give them to his servants.
15_He will take a tenth of your grain & your vintage, & give it to his officers & servants.

This text is the one most closely related to the actual LMLK personal seals:

2CHRONICLES 31
4_Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.
5_As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
14_Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things.
15_And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.
19_Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the common-lands of their cities, in every single city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites.
20_Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God.

Yet this other text may indicate that these seals named royal potters:

1CHRONICLES 4
23_These were the potters & those who dwell at Netaim & Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work.

Scholars have referred to these seals as belonging to both private individuals (such as potters) & officials (such as government bureaucrats) but they could have also belonged to priests &/or Levites.  So since the vast majority of the known examples simply contain personal names, they are designated "personal seals" throughout this website.

Photo courtesy of "Forty New Ancient West Semitic Inscriptions" by R. Deutsch & M. Heltzer (available from Archaeological Center)

Almost all the personal seals found on LMLK jars are designed similar to the one seen in the photo above; namely, they contain 2 lines of text separated by 1 or 2 horizontal lines in an oval (typically 13 x 11mm).  Four notable exceptions are:

The following 3 sorted lists of the inscriptions are courtesy of:

Note:  The English translations are taken from Sass/Avigad only because Vaughn didn't provide any.  Some of the readings differ slightly between the 2 books, & a few of them are superceded by new readings from Vaughn/Barkay in BASOR 304.  The "Sorted Alphabetically" list duplicates the alternative readings by both pairs of scholars.  Please refer to all 3 of these excellent resources for details about where the seals were excavated.

English renderings:

A B G D E U Z H @ Y K L M N C O P $ Q R S T
א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר ש ת
period (".") word divider dots
pipe ("|") word divider bars
underscore ("_") field divider or new line/register
"n/a" classification # not applicable since it was not published

SORTED BY SASS/AVIGAD

Inscription Translation Sass/
Avigad
Vaughn
והינבשל
ךלמה ןב
LSBNYEU_BNEMLK
Belonging to Shebanyahu son of the king
662 31
םקילאל
ןכוי רענ
LALYQM_NOR.YUKN
Belonging to Elyaqim steward of Yokin
663 (n/a)
ב הנחל
הירזע ת
LHNEB_TOZRYE
Belonging to Hanna daughter of 'Azaryah
664 (n/a)
היזחא
םחנת ו
AHZYE_U.TNHM
Ahazyahu (son of) Tanhum
665 1b
יכבל
םלש
LBKY._SLM
Belonging to BKY (son of) Shallum
666 3
5
עשוה
ןפצ
EUSO_$PN
Hoshea' (son of) Sapan
667 9a
9b
[or] םעשוה
ן(ב) עשוה
יגח
EUSOM_HGY [or EUSO_BN_HGY]
Hoshe'am (son of) Haggi [or Hoshea' son of Haggi]
668 8
אדסחל
והימרי
LHCDA_YRMYEU
Belonging to Hisda (son of) Yirmiyahu
670 10
ליחוהיל
רחש
LYEUHYL_SHR
Belonging to Yehohail (son of) Shahar
672 14b
לחוהי
רחש
YEUHL_SHR
Yehohel (son of) Shahar
673 14a
14c
אלסכל
אכז
LKCLA_ZKA
Belonging to Kisla (son of) Zaka
674 15
ימרכ
[...יפר or] ...יפי
KRMY_YPY
Karmi (son of) YPY... [or RPY...]
675 16
םחנמ
הנבי
MNHM_YBNE
Menahem (son of) Yibne
676 17c
םחנמ
הנבוהי
MNHM_YEUBNE
Menahem (son of) Yehobana
677 17a
םחנמל
הנבוי
LMNHM_YUBNE
Belonging to Menahem (son of) Yobana
678 17b
םלשמ
ךלמחא
MSLM_AHMLK
Meshullam (son of) Ahimelek
{seen on complete jar 10457}
679 18
לשמל
ןתנלא ם
LMSL_MALNTN
Belonging to Meshullam (son of) Elnatan
680 19
םחנל
והילצה
LNHM_E$LYEU
Belonging to Nahum (son of) Hissilyahu
681
682
683
20a
20b
םחנל
ידבע
LNHM_OBDY
Belonging to Nahum (son of) 'Abdi
684 21a
21b
21c
ארנל LNRA
Belonging to Nera (?)
685 22c
ארנל
אנבש
LNRA_SBNA
Belonging to Nera (son of) Shebna
{seen on 2 handles in the photo above &
on the Circles page (both are #687)}
686
687
 
22b
22a
22d
ב ירנל
וינבש ן
LNRYB_NSBNYU
Belonging to Neri son of Shebanyau
688 22e
[?]מסל
והינפצ
LCM_$PNYEU
Belonging to Sam[?] (son of) Sepanyahu
689 23a
23b
דבעל
י
LOBD_Y
Belonging to 'Abdi
690 24
רזעל
יגח
LOZR_HGY
Belonging to 'Ezer (son of) Haggi
691 25
ברעל
יבנ
LORB_NBY
Belonging to 'Oreb (son of) Nobai
693 27
קדצל
ךמס
L$DQ_CMK
Belonging to Sadoq (son of) Samak
694 28
א ןפצל
ץעמב
L$PN.A_BMO$
Belonging to Sapan (son of) Abima'as
695 29
ןפצ
רזע
$PN_OZR
Sapan (son of) 'Ezer
696 30b
ןפצ[ל]
רזע
[L]$PN_OZR
[Belonging to] Sapan (son of) 'Ezer
697 30c
ע ןפצ
והירז
$PNO_ZRYEU
Sapan (son of) 'Azaryahu
698
699
30a
יאפרל
לכוהי
or
יאנבל
לכוהי
LRPAY_YEUKL
Belonging to Rapa'i (son of) Yehukal
or
LBNAY_YEUKL
700 4
6
נבשל
רחש א
LSBN_A.SHR
Belonging to Shebna (son of) Shahar
701 32
הינבש[?ל]
הירזע
LSBNYE_OZRYE
[Belonging to] Shebanyah (son of) 'Azaryah
702 33b
והינבש[?ל]
והירזע
LSBNYEU_OZRYEU
[Belonging to] Shebanyahu (son of) 'Azaryahu
703 33a
כושל
נבש ה
א
or
כושל
נבש י
א
LSUK_ESBN_A
Belonging to SUK[E?] (son of) Shebna
or
LSUK_YSBN_A
704 34a
םלשל
אחא
LSLM|_AHA|
Belonging to Shallum (son of) Aha
705 35a
םלשל
[ר]מאחא
LSLM_AHAM[R]
Belonging to Shallum (son of) Ahi'am[ar]
706 35b
םחנתל
ןגמ
LTNHM_MGN
Belonging to Tanhum (son of) Magen
707 36a
חנתל
בגנ ם
LTNH_M|NGB
Belonging to Tanhum (son of) Negeb
708 37
[?]
אכמ
_MKA
[?] Mika
709 (n/a)
[?]
[?יכבל]
אנבש
_LBKY_SBNA
[?] [belonging to BKY?] (son of) Shebna
710 (n/a)
אחאל
םחנת
LAHA_TNHM (n/a) 1a
ךלמחאל
םרזע
LAHMLK_OZRM (n/a) 2
יעגל
אחא
LGOY_AHA (n/a) 7
ירח
יגח
HRY_HGY (n/a) 11
ישח
עמשלא
HSY_ALSMO (n/a) 12a
ישחל
עמשלא
LHSY_ALSMO (n/a) 12b
היעדי
רזעלא
YDOYE_ALOZR (n/a) 13
רזעל
אנבש
LOZR_SBNA (n/a) 26
ןפצל
והירזע
L$PN_OZRYEU (n/a) 30d
יכשל
אנבש
LSKY_SBNA (n/a) 34b
[?]
םקוהי
_YEUQM (n/a) 38
(n/a) (pictographic horse) (n/a) 39
(n/a) (pictographic lion hunting a deer) (n/a) 40

SORTED BY VAUGHN

Inscription Translation Vaughn Sass/
Avigad
אחאל
םחנת
LAHA_TNHM 1a (n/a)
היזחא
םחנת ו
AHZYE_U.TNHM
Ahazyahu (son of) Tanhum
1b 665
ךלמחאל
םרזע
LAHMLK_OZRM 2 (n/a)
יכבל
םלש
LBKY._SLM
Belonging to BKY (son of) Shallum
3
5
666
יאנבל
לכוהי
or
יאפרל
לכוהי
LBNAY_YEUKL
or
LRPAY_YEUKL
Belonging to Rapa'i (son of) Yehukal
4
6
700
יעגל
אחא
LGOY_AHA 7 (n/a)
םעשוה
יגח
EUSOM_HGY
Hoshe'am (son of) Haggi
8 668
עשוה
ןפצ
EUSO_$PN
Hoshea' (son of) Sapan
9a
9b
667
אדסחל
והימרי
LHCDA_YRMYEU
Belonging to Hisda (son of) Yirmiyahu
10 670
ירח
יגח
HRY_HGY 11 (n/a)
ישח
עמשלא
HSY_ALSMO 12a (n/a)
ישחל
עמשלא
LHSY_ALSMO 12b (n/a)
היעדי
רזעלא
YDOYE_ALOZR 13 (n/a)
לחוהי
רחש
YEUHL_SHR
Yehohel (son of) Shahar
14a
14c
673
ליחוהיל
רחש
LYEUHYL_SHR
Belonging to Yehohail (son of) Shahar
14b 672
אלסכל
אכז
LKCLA_ZKA
Belonging to Kisla (son of) Zaka
15 674
ימרכ
[...יפר or] ...יפי
KRMY_YPY
Karmi (son of) YPY... [or RPY...]
16 675
םחנמ
הנבוהי
MNHM_YEUBNE
Menahem (son of) Yehobana
17a 677
םחנמל
הנבוי
LMNHM_YUBNE
Belonging to Menahem (son of) Yobana
17b 678
םחנמ
הנבי
MNHM_YBNE
Menahem (son of) Yibne
17c 676
םלשמ
ךלמחא
MSLM_AHMLK
Meshullam (son of) Ahimelek
{seen on complete jar 10457}
18 679
לשמל
ןתנלא ם
LMSL_MALNTN
Belonging to Meshullam (son of) Elnatan
19 680
םחנל
והילצה
LNHM_E$LYEU
Belonging to Nahum (son of) Hissilyahu
20a
20b
681
682
683
םחנל
ידבע
LNHM_OBDY
Belonging to Nahum (son of) 'Abdi
21a
21b
21c
684
ארנל
אנבש
LNRA_SBNA
Belonging to Nera (son of) Shebna
{seen on 2 handles in the photo above &
on the Circles page (both are #687)}
22a
22b
22d
687
686
ארנל LNRA
Belonging to Nera (?)
22c 685
ב ירנל
וינבש ן
LNRYB_NSBNYU
Belonging to Neri son of Shebanyau
22e 688
[?]מסל
והינפצ
LCM_$PNYEU
Belonging to Sam[?] (son of) Sepanyahu
23a
23b
689
דבעל
י
LOBD_Y
Belonging to 'Abdi
24 690
רזעל
יגח
LOZR_HGY
Belonging to 'Ezer (son of) Haggi
25 691
רזעל
אנבש
LOZR_SBNA 26 (n/a)
ברעל
יבנ
LORB_NBY
Belonging to 'Oreb (son of) Nobai
27 693
קדצל
ךמס
L$DQ_CMK
Belonging to Sadoq (son of) Samak
28 694
א ןפצל
ץעמב
L$PN.A_BMO$
Belonging to Sapan (son of) Abima'as
29 695
ע ןפצ
והירז
$PNO_ZRYEU
Sapan (son of) 'Azaryahu
30a 698
699
ןפצ
רזע
$PN_OZR
Sapan (son of) 'Ezer
30b 696
ןפצ[ל]
רזע
[L]$PN_OZR
[Belonging to] Sapan (son of) 'Ezer
30c 697
ןפצל
והירזע
L$PN_OZRYEU 30d (n/a)
והינבשל
ךלמה ןב
LSBNYEU_BNEMLK
Belonging to Shebanyahu son of the king
31 662
נבשל
רחש א
LSBN_A.SHR
Belonging to Shebna (son of) Shahar
32 701
והינבש[?ל]
והירזע
LSBNYEU_OZRYEU
[Belonging to] Shebanyahu (son of) 'Azaryahu
33a 703
הינבש[?ל]
הירזע
LSBNYE_OZRYE
[Belonging to] Shebanyah (son of) 'Azaryah
33b 702
כושל
נבש י
א
or
כושל
נבש ה
א
LSUK_YSBN_A
or
LSUK_ESBN_A
Belonging to SUK[E?] (son of) Shebna
34a 704
יכשל
אנבש
LSKY_SBNA 34b (n/a)
םלשל
אחא
LSLM|_AHA|
Belonging to Shallum (son of) Aha
35a 705
םלשל
[ר]מאחא
LSLM_AHAM[R]
Belonging to Shallum (son of) Ahi'am[ar]
35b 706
םחנתל
ןגמ
LTNHM_MGN
Belonging to Tanhum (son of) Magen
36a 707
חנתל
בגנ ם
LTNH_M|NGB
Belonging to Tanhum (son of) Negeb
37 708
[?]
םקוהי
_YEUQM 38 (n/a)
(n/a) (pictographic horse) 39 (n/a)
(n/a) (pictographic lion hunting a deer) 40 (n/a)
םקילאל
ןכוי רענ
LALYQM_NOR.YUKN
Belonging to Elyaqim steward of Yokin
(n/a) 663
ב הנחל
הירזע ת
LHNEB_TOZRYE
Belonging to Hanna daughter of 'Azaryah
(n/a) 664
[?]
אכמ
_MKA
[?] Mika
(n/a) 709
[?]
[?יכבל]
אנבש
_LBKY_SBNA
[?] [belonging to BKY?] (son of) Shebna
(n/a) 710

SORTED ALPHABETICALLY (by English convention)

Inscription Translation Sass/
Avigad
Vaughn
(n/a) (pictographic horse) (n/a) 39
(n/a) (pictographic lion hunting a deer) (n/a) 40
[?]
[?יכבל]
אנבש
_LBKY_SBNA
[?] [belonging to BKY?] (son of) Shebna
710 (n/a)
[?]
אכמ
_MKA
[?] Mika
709 (n/a)
[?]
םקוהי
_YEUQM (n/a) 38
היזחא
םחנת ו
AHZYE_U.TNHM
Ahazyahu (son of) Tanhum
665 1b
עשוה
ןפצ
EUSO_$PN
Hoshea' (son of) Sapan
667 9a
9b
[or] םעשוה
ן(ב) עשוה
יגח
EUSOM_HGY [or EUSO_BN_HGY]
Hoshe'am (son of) Haggi [or Hoshea' son of Haggi]
668 8
ירח
יגח
HRY_HGY (n/a) 11
ישח
עמשלא
HSY_ALSMO (n/a) 12a
ימרכ
[...יפר or] ...יפי
KRMY_YPY
Karmi (son of) YPY... [or RPY...]
675 16
אחאל
םחנת
LAHA_TNHM (n/a) 1a
ךלמחאל
םרזע
LAHMLK_OZRM (n/a) 2
םקילאל
ןכוי רענ
LALYQM_NOR.YUKN
Belonging to Elyaqim steward of Yokin
663  
יכבל
םלש
LBKY._SLM
Belonging to BKY (son of) Shallum
666 3
5
יאנבל
לכוהי
or
יאפרל
לכוהי
LBNAY_YEUKL
or
LRPAY_YEUKL
Belonging to Rapa'i (son of) Yehukal
700 4
6
יעגל
אחא
LGOY_AHA (n/a) 7
אדסחל
והימרי
LHCDA_YRMYEU
Belonging to Hisda (son of) Yirmiyahu
670 10
ב הנחל
הירזע ת
LHNEB_TOZRYE
Belonging to Hanna daughter of 'Azaryah
664 (n/a)
ישחל
עמשלא
LHSY_ALSMO (n/a) 12b
אלסכל
אכז
LKCLA_ZKA
Belonging to Kisla (son of) Zaka
674 15
םחנמל
הנבוי
LMNHM_YUBNE
Belonging to Menahem (son of) Yobana
678 17b
לשמל
ןתנלא ם
LMSL_MALNTN
Belonging to Meshullam (son of) Elnatan
680 19
םחנל
והילצה
LNHM_E$LYEU
Belonging to Nahum (son of) Hissilyahu
681
682
683
20a
20b
םחנל
ידבע
LNHM_OBDY
Belonging to Nahum (son of) 'Abdi
684 21a
21b
21c
ארנל LNRA
Belonging to Nera (?)
685 22c
ארנל
אנבש
LNRA_SBNA
Belonging to Nera (son of) Shebna
{seen on 2 handles in the photo above &
on the Circles page (both are #687)}
686
687
 
22b
22a
22d
ב ירנל
וינבש ן
LNRYB_NSBNYU
Belonging to Neri son of Shebanyau
688 22e
דבעל
י
LOBD_Y
Belonging to 'Abdi
690 24
ברעל
יבנ
LORB_NBY
Belonging to 'Oreb (son of) Nobai
693 27
רזעל
יגח
LOZR_HGY
Belonging to 'Ezer (son of) Haggi
691 25
רזעל
אנבש
LOZR_SBNA (n/a) 26
יאפרל
לכוהי
or
יאנבל
לכוהי
LRPAY_YEUKL
Belonging to Rapa'i (son of) Yehukal
or
LBNAY_YEUKL
700 4
6
קדצל
ךמס
L$DQ_CMK
Belonging to Sadoq (son of) Samak
694 28
א ןפצל
ץעמב
L$PN.A_BMO$
Belonging to Sapan (son of) Abima'as
695 29
ןפצ[ל]
רזע
[L]$PN_OZR
[Belonging to] Sapan (son of) 'Ezer
697 30c
ןפצל
והירזע
L$PN_OZRYEU (n/a) 30d
[?]מסל
והינפצ
LCM_$PNYEU
Belonging to Sam[?] (son of) Sepanyahu
689 23a
23b
נבשל
רחש א
LSBN_A.SHR
Belonging to Shebna (son of) Shahar
701 32
הינבש[?ל]
הירזע
LSBNYE_OZRYE
[Belonging to] Shebanyah (son of) 'Azaryah
702 33b
והינבשל
ךלמה ןב
LSBNYEU_BNEMLK
Belonging to Shebanyahu son of the king
662 31
והינבש[?ל]
והירזע
LSBNYEU_OZRYEU
[Belonging to] Shebanyahu (son of) 'Azaryahu
703 33a
יכשל
אנבש
LSKY_SBNA (n/a) 34b
םלשל
אחא
LSLM|_AHA|
Belonging to Shallum (son of) Aha
705 35a
םלשל
[ר]מאחא
LSLM_AHAM[R]
Belonging to Shallum (son of) Ahi'am[ar]
706 35b
כושל
נבש ה
א
or
כושל
נבש י
א
LSUK_ESBN_A
Belonging to SUK[E?] (son of) Shebna
or
LSUK_YSBN_A
704 34a
חנתל
בגנ ם
LTNH_M|NGB
Belonging to Tanhum (son of) Negeb
708 37
םחנתל
ןגמ
LTNHM_MGN
Belonging to Tanhum (son of) Magen
707 36a
ליחוהיל
רחש
LYEUHYL_SHR
Belonging to Yehohail (son of) Shahar
672 14b
םחנמ
הנבי
MNHM_YBNE
Menahem (son of) Yibne
676 17c
םחנמ
הנבוהי
MNHM_YEUBNE
Menahem (son of) Yehobana
677 17a
םלשמ
ךלמחא
MSLM_AHMLK
Meshullam (son of) Ahimelek
{seen on complete jar 10457}
679 18
ןפצ
רזע
$PN_OZR
Sapan (son of) 'Ezer
696 30b
ע ןפצ
והירז
$PNO_ZRYEU
Sapan (son of) 'Azaryahu
698
699
30a
היעדי
רזעלא
YDOYE_ALOZR (n/a) 13
לחוהי
רחש
YEUHL_SHR
Yehohel (son of) Shahar
673 14a
14c

"Have you commanded the morning since your days began, & caused the dawn to know its place...?  It takes on form like clay under a seal..."--Job 38:12, 14

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This page was created on February 25, 2002, & last updated on August 28, 2010