by
Damien F. Mackey
It
seems ridiculous, doesn’t it, the prophet Isaiah, considered to have been
martyred during the reign of King Manasseh of Judah (d. c. 643 BC, conventional
dating), yet somehow still functioning during the reign of King Josiah of Judah
(c. 640-609 BC)?
How
to explain this?
That
Isaiah was, with his father, Amos (Amoz) (Isaiah 1:1), or Micah, a Simeonite –
unlike the typical prophets of Israel (cf. Amos 7:14) – I have now well
established in articles such as:
God can raise up
prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon
(5)
God can raise up prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon
Now,
there was a Simeonite leader whose name was Asaiah (1 Chronicles 4:36), and his name is
the same as King Josiah’s personal secretary, “Asaiah, servant of the king” (עֲשָׂיָה עֶבֶד-הַמֶּלֶךְ). This was a very high office: Topical Bible: The King of Israel's
Servants
“The term "The
King of Israel's Servants" refers to those individuals who served the
monarchs of the ancient kingdom of Israel. These servants played various roles,
ranging from military leaders and advisors to household managers and personal
attendants. Their duties and influence varied depending on their position and
the king they served”.
And
his name was found last year (2025) inscribed on a seal.
But
before we get to that wonderful discovery (see article below), I need briefly
to explain how the prophet Isaiah, of the reigns of King Hezekiah and Manasseh,
could be the same as the Asaiah who was a high official serving King Josiah.
Isaiah was all at once, as I
have shown: the prophet Hosea, and the Simeonite Uzziah of the
Book of Judith (6:15, “Uzziah, son
of Micah of the tribe of Simeon …”), on duty in N. Israel; also Jonah/Nahum,
cf. Tobit 14:4 (reputed to be a Simeonite).
Only,
though, with my folding of the reforming king, Hezekiah, into the reforming
king, Josiah, and the wicked son, Manasseh, into the wicked son, Jehoiakim:
Manasseh - Jehoiakim
Advantages if
Hezekiah’s son Manasseh is identified with Josiah’s son Jehoiakim
(5)
Advantages if Hezekiah’s son Manasseh is identified with Josiah's son Jehoiakim
can
any further necessary connections of Isaiah - also the martyred Isaiah (reign
of Manasseh) - with Asaiah - also the martyred Uriah/Urijah (reign of
Jehoiakim) (Jeremiah 26:20-23) - be established.
Conclusion
The
Simeonite prophet, Isaiah, was the same person as the king’s high official,
Asaiah.
Now
to the exciting discovery of that seal:
Has the Name of King Josiah’s Trusted Official Been
Found on an Ancient Sealing?
A rare seal impression on clay bearing the Hebrew
name “Yed[a‛]yah (son of) Asayahu,” has recently been uncovered in the sifting.
This exciting discovery raises the intriguing possibility of a direct link to a
well-known biblical story: the finding of a sacred biblical law scroll during
the reign of King Josiah of Judah, just years before the destruction of
Jerusalem’s First Temple.
…
Discovery and the Decoding of the Sealing
… archaeologist Mordechai Ehrlich discovered a rare
and exceptionally well-preserved clay sealing, impressed by a stamp seal
inscribed with ancient Hebrew letters.
Since the discovery of the sealing, an intensive,
fast-track study has been conducted …. The researchers—epigrapher Dr. Anat
Mendel-Geberovich and Zachi Dvira—have fully deciphered the inscription. They
read it as follows:
“Belonging to Yed[a‛]yah
(son of) Asayahu.” – ליד[ע]יה
(בן) עשיהו
Marks on the back of the artifact indicate it was used
as a sealing on a bag or storage container. Remarkably, the sealing still
retains a clear fingerprint, presumably left by the ancient official who once
owned it. According to the style of writing, the sealing dates to the late
First Temple period (approximately the late-7th century BCE to the early-6th
century BCE).
Who was Yeda‛yah, Son of Asayahu?
The names inscribed on the sealing are reminiscent of
famous figures described in the Hebrew Bible. About 2,600 years ago, King
Josiah of Judah ordered repairs made to the Temple in Jerusalem. During these
repairs, workers discovered an ancient sacred scroll (Sefer haTorah),
likely the Pentateuch book of Deuteronomy (2 Kings 22:12; 2 Chronicles 34:20).
When the royal scribe read the scroll to King Josiah, its warnings about the
people’s sins and impending divine punishment deeply alarmed the king.
Josiah then dispatched trusted officials to seek
divine counsel from the prophetess Huldah, who foretold Jerusalem’s future
destruction but assured Josiah that he personally would not live to witness it.
Among Josiah’s trusted envoys was a senior official
named Asayahu [Asaiah], described as “the king’s servant.” Given his prominent
role, it is reasonable to assume that his son, Yeda‛yah, may have also served
in a prominent position, either at the same time or shortly thereafter.
Could the newly discovered sealing belonging to “Yeda‛yah
son of Asayahu” indeed reference the son of King Josiah’s trusted official?
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