Biblical Hebrew Blog by ClassicalHebrew.com

Photo: Gabi Laron, Institute of Archeology, The Hebrew University. Courtesy of Dr. Eilat Mazar

Another biblical personality was unearthed this month in the City of David’s on-going excavation in Jerusalem. This time, it was a Minister by the name of Gedaliah Ben Pashur. His name appears along with three other Ministers in Jeremiah 38:1 (Shephatiah, Pashhur and Yehuchal). Amazingly enough, Gedaliah’s name is not the first to be confirmed through the archaeological record from this verse. Already in 2005, the bulla for Minister Yehuchal Ben Shelemayahu (Jer 38:1) was found, confirming him also as a flesh and blood personality in the first quarter of the sixth Century BCE.

The Ministers

These four men were officials in the court of Zedekiah (597-586 BCE) and are mentioned specifically due to their request that Jeremiah the prophet be put to death. It was as a consequence of their intrusion that Jeremiah was cast into a deep miry pit and left to die (Jer 38:5).

A Brave Eunuch

And thus the story of Jeremiah’s prophetic activity would have ended had it not been for the intervention of the king’s eunuch, an Ethiopian by the name of Eved-Melech. He went before Zedekiah and said, “My Lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city”. (Jer 38:9)

Jeremiah Continues

Jeremiah’s life was spared, but he lived in constant danger from these four Ministers (Jer 38:1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 27). Shortly after he was rescued from their evil machinations, he was able to deliver to Zedekiah a clear message from God concerning the present woe that beset the besieged city- “Go over to the Babylonians and save yourself and the city; fight them and your family will be lost and this city will be burnt”.

The Last remaining Ministers

It will be interesting to see whether two more bullae will be found in the burnt remains of Zedekiah’s Jerusalem, with the names “Shephatiah ben Mattan” and “Phashur ben Malkiah” (Jer 38:1) - the officials who failed to kill the voice of God.

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