8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

‘Proof of biblical kings’, Israel deciphers 8th century BC Hezekiah inscription after a decade of research

Israeli archeologists have deciphered an 8th-century BC inscription discovered on a palm-sized stone tablet after a decade of research.

 The artifact was discovered during excavations at Jerusalem’s City of David National Park in 2007, but it was only recently that it was deciphered.

It was deciphered after a ten-year research by Prof. Gershon Galil, head of the Institute for Biblical Studies and Ancient History at Haifa University, and Eli Shukron, from the Bible and Ancient History research institute.

The biblical king’s name was found partially written into the inscription, and the fragment could be filled in to read a specific part in the bible referring to Hezekiah.

The inscription references King Hezekiah and his accomplishments, paralleling the biblical passage in 2 Kings 20. Hezekiah is noted several times throughout the Bible in regard to the construction of pools and tunnels and the discovery of the inscribed stone was made at just such a “pool” location in the Gihon Spring area. Hezekiah is also noted as doing “what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done” (2 Chron. 29:2).

After a decade of research, the first-of-its-kind “monumental” inscription about King Hezekiah has been deciphered.
After a decade of research, the first-of-its-kind “monumental” inscription about King Hezekiah has been deciphered. Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority

Eli Shukron and Ronny Reich discovered the limestone fragment near a man-made pool in the Siloam tunnel, within a refuse pile containing pottery shards dating from the 8th century BC, as well as dirt and stones.

According to Prof. Gershon Galil, former chairman of the university’s department of Jewish history, the inscriptions mention the name of Hezekiah and summarize his main actions during the first 17 years of his reign, including the water project (the cutting of the Siloam Tunnel and the pool), ritual reform, the conquest of Philistia, and property accumulation.

The small but significant stone fragment measures about 5.3 inches long by 3.8 inches wide. There are two lines of writing containing six letters inscribed in Old Hebrew script.

The three letters of the first line of the inscription, (z)q y h, are part of a single word which has been reconstructed as:

ח]זקיה] / [H]zqyh / [He]zekiah.

The initial letter h/ח is missing. Note that Hebrew is read from right to left and doesn’t contain vowels.

The first word of the second line includes the two letters kh and is reconstructed as:

ב]רכה] / [br]kh / bricha (berecha) or pool in English.

Siloam inscription
Siloam inscription. İstanbul Archaeology Museum

Prof. Gershon Galil, head of the Institute for Biblical Studies and Ancient History at Haifa University, and Eli Shukron, from the Bible and Ancient History research institute, have concluded the full inscription was: “Hezekiah made the pool in Jerusalem.”

Researchers believe that the broken stone was once a part of a monumental inscription written on a large public building.

Gershon Galil, The University of Haifa Bible scholar, “This is an extremely important discovery that changes [some basic assumptions of] research, since until today it was commonly accepted that the kings of Israel and Judah, unlike the kings of the ancient Middle East, did not make themselves royal inscriptions and monuments… to commemorate their achievements,”

“These are actually the earliest manuscripts of the Bible. They predate the Ketef Hinnom silver amulets by about 100 years and the Dead Sea Scrolls by hundreds of years. They also support the claim that scriptures in the Book of Kings are based on texts originating from chronicles and royal inscriptions and that the Bible reflects historical reality and not imagination,” he added.

Siloam tunnel
Siloam tunnel

Links to Other Inscriptions

This “new” inscription has been linked with a fragment found further south of the Gihon Spring in 1978 by famous archaeologist Yigal Shiloh. This text fragment includes the word “seventeen/seventeenth” which may connect to the “new” inscription and reference Hezekiah’s seventeenth year of reign in 709 BC. Hezekiah reigned for a total of 29 years (2 Kings 18:2). The same type of limestone and lettering are used on both inscriptions.

The letters also closely resemble those of the Siloam Inscription that was found in Hezekiah’s Tunnel in terms of shape. According to the Siloam Inscription, the tunnel was built by excavating from both ends and joining them in the middle. The tunnel was built to carry water into the city so that the attacking Assyrians led by Sennacherib could not cut off Jerusalem’s water supply.

This finding will change the way that we think about a number of other written artifacts from that time period as well as future discoveries.

Israel Antiquities Authority

Related Articles

World’s Smallest Stegosaurus Track Found

14 March 2021

14 March 2021

The smallest trace of stegosaurus in the world that lived 155 million years ago was found. Stegosaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur,...

First example of Roman crucifixion in UK discovered in Cambridgeshire village

8 December 2021

8 December 2021

In Cambridgeshire village, the earliest evidence of a Roman crucifixion has been discovered. Archaeologists investigating a previously unknown Roman roadside...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Unearths Europe’s Largest Hoard of 2,000-Year-Old Bipyramidal Ingots from the Sava River

7 August 2025

7 August 2025

Previously recognized for its exhibitions on medieval manuscripts and regional folklore, the Franciscan Monastery Museum “Vrata Bosne” in Tolisa is...

The greatest Anglo-Saxon treasure trove ever unearthed has been discovered by a metal detectorist

10 November 2021

10 November 2021

A metal detector in West Norfolk, England, unearthed 131 coins and 4 golden artifacts going back 1,400 years. This is...

Works on Brussels metro line uncovered remains of the second city wall

18 April 2023

18 April 2023

Construction work on the new metro line 3 in Brussels, the Belgian capital, has revealed part of the second rampart...

Wasabi Isn’t Just For Sushi: It is an Innovative Solution for Preserving Ancient Papyrus

28 February 2024

28 February 2024

A new natural technique for cleaning and preserving priceless ancient Egyptian papyrus that are in danger from bacteria and fungi...

In Poland, a 45-meter-long mysterious tunnel found under the ruins of the Saxon Palace

9 September 2023

9 September 2023

A mysterious underground tunnel was found under the ruins of the Saski Palace in Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, the capital...

Małopolskie Region Reveals Oldest Evidence of Metal Mining in Poland, Dating Back 1,000 Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

16 February 2025

16 February 2025

Researchers have uncovered the oldest confirmed evidence of metal ore mining and metallurgy in Poland through the study of lead...

Headless skeletons discovered in Prehistoric mass grave

14 January 2023

14 January 2023

Archaeologists have found a mass grave site containing 38 decapitated burials at a Neolithic settlement in Vráble, Slovakia. The remains...

A well-preserved comb discovered in a 4th-century rare Alemannic chamber grave in Germany

4 September 2024

4 September 2024

During a rescue excavation in the center of the village of Gerstetten, located in the Heidenheim district of southwestern Germany,...

A bronze tablet from 2000 years ago proves that Greek was spoken in Anatolia and that a multicultural life existed ‘Anisa tablet’

12 April 2024

12 April 2024

The Anisa bronze tablet proves that Greek was used in Anatolia 2000 years ago and that a multicultural life existed....

Botanical Findings Analysis from Biblical area of Goliath sheds Unprecedented Light on Philistine Ritual Practices

27 February 2024

27 February 2024

Bar-Ilan University researchers shed “unprecedented light” on Philistine ritual practices, such as the use of psychoactive and medicinal plants, by...

Discovery of 1,500-Year-Old Mosaic at Ancient City of Dara in Mardin, Türkiye

7 July 2025

7 July 2025

According to information provided by Anadolu Agency, archaeologists have recently uncovered a remarkably well-preserved 1,500-year-old mosaic decorated with drop and...

In Turkey’s Gedikkaya Cave, a stone figurine was discovered inside a 16,500-year-old votive pit

17 December 2022

17 December 2022

A stone figurine was discovered in a 16500-year-old votive pit belonging to the Epi-paleolithic period, the transition phase from the...

Mass graves of Crusaders killed in the 13th century have been discovered in Lebanon

17 September 2021

17 September 2021

From 1096 to 1291, waves of Europeans took up arms and marched into the Middle East. They hope to “take...