LMLK Bullae
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 		A bulla is a lump of clay with a seal impression that, when wet--before it hardened, was attached to papyrus documents, cloth sacks, wooden boxes, & pottery vessels to discourage tampering.  Here is a photo of a famous papyrus (#47.218.89) from Elaphantine dated to the 5th century B.C. (courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York):

In addition to papyri, unattached forms of bullae served as tickets/receipts instead of sealing documents.  At least 23 bullae have been published that include "LMLK" in the inscription (21 are unprovenanced, but 1 naming Gibeon ("[G]BON LMLK") & 1 naming Bethlehem ("BSBO [B]YTLHM [LML]K") were recovered from controlled projects in Jerusalem).  Scholars refer to most of these (except this first one, which is an actual seal, not a stamp) as "fiscal bullae" (all photos below are scaled relative to each other):

LMLK
11.2 x 18.1 x 5.5mm (maximum; convex-shaped)
Note:  The seal may have belonged to a king or someone with the theophoric name of MLK

This photo appears in "Biblical Period Hebrew Bullae--The Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection" by Robert Deutsch

B 20 1 1 1 1 1 1 | SNE | ALTLD | LMLK
"In the 26th | year | Eltolad | LMLK"
16 x 15 x 12mm (overall maximum; conoid-shaped)
Note:  Eltolad is a Judean city mentioned in Joshua 15:30, 19:4, & 1Chronicles 4:29)

This photo appears in:
  • "Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals" by Nahman Avigad [revised & completed by Benjamin Sass]
  • IEJ vol. 40 #4 by N. Avigad
  • "Messages from the Past" by Robert Deutsch

B 10 9 SNE | ARB. | LMLK.
"In the 19th year | Arab. | LMLK."
13.4 x 15.1 x 10.7mm (overall maximum; pyramidic-shaped)
Note:  The dots after the middle & bottom words probably act as space fillers

This photo appears in "Biblical Period Hebrew Bullae--The Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection" by Robert Deutsch

B 10 1 1 1 [1?] | SNE | RASNE LKS L | MLK
"In the 14th | year | the first | Lachish L | MLK"
22.5 x 21.3 x 16.5mm (overall maximum; conoid-shaped)
Notes:  The year may be read as 13 or 14; the first of the annual crop harvest from Lachish is implied

Note:  This photo appears in:
  • "Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals" by Nahman Avigad [revised & completed by Benjamin Sass]
  • "Messages from the Past" by Robert Deutsch

B 10 9 SNE | LKS. | LMLK.
"In the 19th year | Lachish. | LMLK."
16.0 x 17.3 x 5.4mm (overall maximum; mostly flat-shaped with string & papyrus marks on reverse)
Note:  The short strokes after the middle & bottom words probably act as space fillers

This photo appears in "Biblical Period Hebrew Bullae--The Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection" by Robert Deutsch

MON | LMLK
"Maon LMLK"
21.6 x 14.9 x 7.2mm (maximum; flat-shaped with string marks on reverse)
Note:  Maon is a Judean city mentioned in Joshua 15:55, 1Samuel 23:24-5, 25:2

This photo appears in "A Hoard of Fifty Hebrew Clay Bullae from the Time of Hezekiah in the Shlomo Moussaieff Collection" by Robert Deutsch

B 10 7 SN | E N[?] | LMLK
"In the 17th year | N[ezib?] | LMLK"
18.9 x 18.9 x 14.1mm (overall maximum; conoid-shaped with fingerprints)
Note:  The damaged letter in the middle may be a Tsadde

This photo appears in "Biblical Period Hebrew Bullae--The Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection" by Robert Deutsch

B 20 SNE | NXB .. | LMLK
"In the 20th year | Nezib | LMLK"
14.2 x 12.5mm (maximum; flat-shaped with string & papyrus marks on reverse)
Notes:  The 2 long strokes at the top may have been added in subsequent years to represent "21st" & "22nd"; the 2 small strokes following NZB may have represented a quantity of goods, or been used to fill the blank space, or been a continuation of the date meaning "23rd" & "24th"; Nezib is a Judean city mentioned in Joshua 15:43

This photo appears in "Messages from the Past" by Robert Deutsch

B 10 [9?] SNE | QOLE° | LMLK°
"In the 1[9?]th year | Keilah° | LMLK°"
14.8 x 18.6 x 10.3mm (overall maximum; uneven shape caused by string impressions)
Notes:  The concentric circles after the middle & bottom words probably act as space fillers; Keilah is a Judean city mentioned in Joshua 15:44; 1Samuel 23:1-8, 10-3; & Nehemiah 3:17-8

This photo appears in "Biblical Period Hebrew Bullae--The Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection" by Robert Deutsch

[?] | [?]R. | LMLK.
"[?] | [?]r. | LMLK."
14.5 x 11.4 x 5.7mm (overall maximum; mostly flat-shaped with fingerprints on reverse)
Note:  The dots after the middle & bottom words probably act as space fillers

This photo appears in "Biblical Period Hebrew Bullae--The Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection" by Robert Deutsch

Here are some others reported in "Biblical Period Epigraphy--The Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection vol. 2" by Robert Deutsch:
  • "In the 10th of 'Arubboth, [Yish]ma''el [to the King]"
  • "Bethel to the King"
  • "In the 19th year, Gebim to the King"
  • "To the King Gath"
  • "[A]pheq to the King"
  • "In the 13th year, Gibeah to the King"
  • "In the 21st year, Lachish to the King"
  • "In the 20th year, 'Adullam to the King"
  • "S'ananim to the King"
  • "In the 22nd year, Srh"
  • "In the 3rd year, Socho to the King"

If the "LMLK" in these inscriptions is referring to a king of Judah, here are the candidates who reigned at least 26 years (the known specimens span 3-26, with the average being 17):
  • 41:  Asa--1Kings 15:10--2Chronicles 16:13
  • 40:  Jehoash (a.k.a. Joash)--2Kings 12:1--2Chronicles 24:1
  • 29:  Amaziah--2Kings 14:2--2Chronicles 25:1
  • 52:  Uzziah (a.k.a. Azariah)--2Kings 15:2--2Chronicles 26:3
  • 29:  Hezekiah--2Kings 18:2--2Chronicles 29:1
  • 55:  Manasseh--2Kings 21:1--2Chronicles 33:1
  • 31:  Josiah--2Kings 22:1--2Chronicles 34:1
In IEJ vol. 40 #4, Avigad noted that the final letter (Kaf) of the Eltolad bulla is paleographically characteristic of the late 7th-century based on inscriptions excavated from Arad & Lachish.

"The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God."--Exodus 23:19 & 34:26

"When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest."--Leviticus 23:10
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 This page was created on June 8, 2002, & last updated on May 24, 2012