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“Belonging to Qaws‘anal, servant of the king,” reads this Edomite seal impression from the late seventh or early sixth century B.C. Archaeologist Nelson Glueck found 22 such seals at Tell el-Kheleifeh near the northern shore of the Gulf of Eilat, in the territory of ancient Edom.

Qaws‘anal was a high-ranking functionary of the king. His name contains a so called theophoric element—in this case, the name of the well-known Edomite deity Qaws, or Qôs. We do not know what the second part of the name means. The inscription is divided into two registers separated by a double horizontal line.

Most of the 22 impressions are not as well preserved as this one. They were all apparently produced by one seal, and all appear on jar handles.