Image Details

The austere seal of Ahaz. Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz (ruled 735–725 B.C.E.), also had a royal seal, as this seal impression shows—but unlike his son, Ahaz had no figures or symbols on his seal. Ahaz’s unadorned seal is surprising in light of the Bible’s characterization of him as a king who modified Temple practices to suit his Assyrian allies (2 Kings 16:17–18)—while Hezekiah, whose seals freely display symbols of foreign origin, is described as a king who rejected foreign practices.