The Times of Israel reports on an unusual discovery – a small seal (as in wax-and-envelope, not as in hunted-in-Arctic) that belonged to a powerful and influential woman of ancient Judah:
“Finding seals that bear names from the time of the First Temple is hardly a commonplace occurrence, and finding a seal that belonged to a woman is an even rarer phenomenon,” the [Israel Antiquities Authority] said in a statement.
The “owner of the seal was exceptional compared to other women of the First Temple period: she had legal status which allowed her to conduct business and possess property,” it said.
Archaeologists believe the building where the two seals were located — in what is now the Givati parking lot — served as an administrative center.
…
“Most of the women’s seals that are known to us bear the name of the father rather than that of the husband. Here, as in other cases, this might indicate the relatively elevated status of Elihana, which depended on her original family, and not on her husband’s family,” [said Dr. Hagai Misgav of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.]
[via]