ISAIAH & THE KINGS

Archaeological Proof Historical References of & co New Testament Other Historical Sources • Matthew • Isaiah’s Scroll () • Mark • ’s Seal • Luke • Isaiah’s Seal • John • The Sennacharib Prism • Acts • The Siloam Tunnel • Romans • Defeat of by Sargon II (:1), as recorded on his • 1 & 2 Corinthians palace walls • Galatians • ’s Tomb (:15 • Ephesians • Philippians • 1 & 2 Thessalonians • Hebrews • James • 1 Peter • Revelations Reference table: http://www.onthewing.org/user/BS_Isaiah%20-%20NT%20Quotes.pdf https://www.levendwater.org/companion/append80.html Isaiah’s Scroll • Oldest complete copy of the (1000 yrs older than previous) • One of the seven • Discovered by Bedouin shepherds in 1947 at the Qumran Caves • Contains the entire Book of Isaiah except a few small damaged portions • Written roughly 250 BC • Evidence that Bible was accurately replicated Hezekiah’s Seal

• Discovered 2009, interpreted 2013 • Complete royal seal / bullae stamp of Hezekiah found with 33 other officials • Reads, “Belonging to Hezekiah, (son of) , king of .” • Picture of two-winged sun disk flanked by ankh symbols • Found at the at the foot of the of the in • 2700 years old • First seal impression of an Israelite/Judean king discovered Isaiah’s Seal?

• Discovered 2009, interpreted Feb 2018 • Partial seal / bullae discovered in same assemblage and strata of soil with Hezekiah’s seal • Labelled with the name Isaiah, and has the first three of the four letters in the Hebrew word for (NVY, the final aleph missing) • Is thought the most natural explanation of the missing letter is an aleph • 2700 years old • First archaeological evidence for Isaiah apart from the Bible The Prism

• Hexagonal clay prism boasting of King Sennacherib from trapping Hezekiah in Jerusalem like a bird in a cage during siege of Jerusalem • Dated 691BC • Discovered in 1830 at Nineveh (now Nebi Yunus, Iraq) Siloam Tunnel /

• Tunnel under Jerusalem discovered 1838 • Dug from to the • 533m long and 30cm difference in altitude • Hypothesised to be built under Hezekiah in preparation for siege of Assyrians/King Sennacherib • An aqueduct to keep more water sources inside Jerusalem walls whilst withholding it from besiegers • Inscription text reads: ... the tunnel ... and this is the story of the tunnel while ... the axes were against each other and while three were left to (cut?) ... the voice of a man ... called to his counterpart, (for) there was ZADA in the rock, on the right ... and on the day of the tunnel (being finished) the stonecutters struck each man towards his counterpart, ax against ax and flowed water from the source to the pool for 1,200 cubits. and (100?) cubits was the height over the head of the stonecutters . • Mentioned in 2 Kings 20:20, , Isaiah 22:11 References

• https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/scholars-study/tunnel/ • https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites- places/jerusalem/king-hezekiah-in-the-bible-royal-seal-of- hezekiah-comes-to-light/ • https://www.thetrumpet.com/16947-has-eilat-mazar- discovered-archaeological-evidence-of-isaiah-the-prophet • https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/EXT-MAGAZINE- isaiah-the-prophet-man-or-myth-1.5912273 • https://www.simplybible.com/f591-isaiah-in-new- testament.htm • https://slideplayer.com/slide/13335032/