In 1975, a collection of nearly 250 clay seals were found about 44 miles southwest of Jerusalem. These small lumps of clay that are impressed with a seal, in ancient times served as an official signature for an individual. The clay seals were then attached to documents to identify the sender. Amazingly, among the seals that were found were the names of four biblical figures mentioned in the 36th chapter of the book of Jeremiah. The first clay seal is impressed with the following inscription: Berekhyahu son of Neriyahu the scribe. This is the seal of Baruch son of Neriah who was the scribe to the prophet Jeremiah. Baruch's full name must have been Berekhyahu. The suffix (yahu) in the ancient Hebrew language is a form of Yahweh (God). The name Baruch means "the blessed." Berekhyahu means "the blessed of Yahweh."

Another seal was also found inscribed with the identical impression as the first, bearing the name "Baruch son of Neriah the scribe." Amazingly enough, this piece of clay also holds the actual fingerprint of Baruch impressed to one side of the seal. Evidently, Baruch was holding down the clay with his finger while applying his seal. He is mentioned in Jeremiah 36:1-4: "Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: "Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day. "It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the LORD which He had spoken to him."

A second clay seal has been found that was impressed with the name of the scribe Elishama. It reads as follows: 'Elishama' servant of the king. According to the Bible, Elishama was a scribe who served the king. He is recorded in Jeremiah 36:10-12:

"Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house, in the hearing of all the people.

"When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the book, he then went down to the king's house, into the scribe's chamber; and there all the princes were sitting; Elishama the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes."

The previous passage also mentions another scribe, Gemariah the son of Shaphan. His clay seal has also been found. The inscription reads: "Gemariah, son of Shaphan"

Another clay seal that was found is inscribed with the name of king Jehoiakim's son, Jerahmeel. It reads as follows: Yerahme'el, son of the king. He is recorded in Jeremiah 36:26.

"And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them."

According to the Bible, Elishama was a scribe who served the king. He is recorded in Jeremiah 36:10-12: "Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house, in the hearing of all the people. "When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the book, he then went down to the king's house, into the scribe's chamber; and there all the princes were sitting; Elishama the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes." The previous passage also mentions another scribe, Gemariah the son of Shaphan. His clay seal has also been found. The inscription reads: "Gemariah, son of Shaphan" The fourth clay seal that was found is inscribed with the name of king Jehoiakim's son, Jerahmeel. It reads as follows: Yerahme'el, son of the king. He is recorded in Jeremiah 36:26.

King Jeroboam: At the beginning of this century a seal was discovered in Israel that bore an inscription of a lion and the words, "Belonging to Shema servant of Jeroboam." This find indicates that it belonged to an official of King Jeroboam of Israel. Other seals have been discovered confirming the Biblical records about King Uzziah (777 to 736 B.C.) and King Hezekiah (726 to 697 B.C.).

King Hosea: Another important seal found in Jerusalem dates from the seventh century before Christ and is inscribed as follows: "Belonging to Abdi Servant of Hoshea." This seal made of orange chalcedony, used to authenticate royal documents for security, belonged to Abdi, a high official of King Hosea, the last king of the northern kingdom of Israel before it was conquered by the Assyrian Empire in 721 B.C.

Asahiah, servant of King Josiah: Another large seal on red limestone was found bearing the inscription "Belonging to Asayahu, servant of the king”. The name ‘Asaiah’ is a short form of the name Asayahu, occuring twice in the Old Testament. "Asaiah a servant of the king's" 2 Chronicles 34:20 and "Asahiah a servant of the king's."… 2 Kings 22:12. It is possible that this seal was owned by "Asaiah, the servant of the king" a high court official who was sent by King Josiah to carefully examine the scroll of the lost Book of Deuteronomy that was found in the Temple by the High Priest Hilkiah in approximately 622 B.C.

Another seal bears the graven images of a man, a bird and a papyrus stalk. The inscription, in Hebrew, identifies the seal as belonging to "Abdi, the servant of Hoshea." The characters used in the inscription date the seal to the late 8th century B.C. It is very possible that Abdi was an official of King Hoshea, who ruled Israel's northern kingdom from 732-722 B.C.

Various facets of the Old Testament history regarding the captivity have been confirmed. Records found in Babylon’s famous Hanging Garden have shown that Jehoiachin and his five sons were beign given a monthly ration and place to live and were treated well (2 Kings 25:27-30). The name of Belshazzar caused problems because there was not only no mention of him, but no room for him in list of Babylonian kings; however, Nabodonius left a record that he appointed his son, Belshazzar (Daniel 5), to reign for a few years in his absence. Hence, Nabodonius was still king, but Belshazzar ruled in the capital. Also, the edict of Cyrus as recorded by Ezra seemd to fit the picture of Isaiah’s prophecies too well to be real, until a cylinder was found that confirmed the decree and all the important details.

ETCHED into this orange carnelian seal is a sun disk with ram's horns, flanked by asps and topped with three crowns of the type worn by the Egyptian god Osiris. Though the elaborate artwork on the top half of the seal is reminiscent of Egyptian art, the inscription on the bottom half is in Hebrew. The letters are inversed so that when impressed in clay it reads, "Belonging to Ushna, servant of Ahab." The title of servant actually referred to a high-ranking court minister.