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Ancient Judaean / First Temple Era Cast Bronze Signet Ring — Inscribed Aramaic / Paleo-Hebrew Script Bezel (US Size 9.5 — c. 6th Century BC)
Authenticity & Guarantee
Certification: Certified Authentic — includes signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with full provenance documentation.
Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Ancient Judaean / Holy Land Sphere (Jerusalem Region Find Context).
Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions
Object: Solid Cast Bronze Signet Ring / Seal Matrix (Sphragis)
Culture / Period: First Temple Period to Early Persian Era Judaea
Date Range: Circa 6th Century BC (c. 600 – 500 BC)
Ring Size: US Size 9.5 (Approx. 19.4 mm inner diameter)
Material: Solid Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)
Form & Architecture: Broad, sturdy round-profile hoop expanding into distinct collared shoulders supporting an elongated hexagonal / vesica-shaped signet bezel; features a flat top surface incised with worn Aramaic / Paleo-Hebrew script characters used for official merchant sealing
Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete ancient condition. Intact structural hoop with excellent symmetry and desirable wearable size 9.5; preserved under a dark charcoal-olive bronze patina accented by light malachite-green oxidation and authentic pale sand-tan calcareous burial soil in the incised script channels. Bezel face displays genuine ancient handling wear (attrition) consistent with extensive seal impression use. Free of modern restoration or re-engraving.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT & TYPOLOGICAL LORE
First Temple Era Epigraphy & Aramaic Script in Judaea
During the 6th century BC—a pivotal era encompassing the late First Temple Period, the Babylonian Exile, and the early Persian Period transition in Judaea—Aramaic emerged as the lingua franca of commercial administration and diplomacy across the Levant. Officials, landowning merchants, and scribes in Jerusalem and the Judaean countryside relied on personal bronze signet rings engraved with Aramaic and Paleo-Hebrew lettering to stamp trade agreements, storehouse jars, and parchment seals.
Seal Mechanics & Rare Wearable Sizing (US Size 9.5)
At a highly desirable US Size 9.5, this signet ring was crafted for an adult male merchant or administrative officer. The flattened hexagonal bezel was engineered to be pressed directly into soft clay sealings (bullae) or beeswax. The visible surface softening over the lettering is a hallmark signature of genuine ancient use, demonstrating that the ring was worn daily and utilized for hundreds of personal transactions before its loss and burial.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Primary Class: Ancient Near Eastern Epigraphy & Personal Equipment / Judaean Signet
Sub-Class: Hexagonal Vesica Inscribed Bezel Class (Sphragis)
Manufacturing Technique: Lost-wax cast copper alloy (cire perdue) with hand-incised retrograde Aramaic script channels.
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Iron Age II and Persian Period inscribed Judaean bronze seal rings and clay bullae recovered from City of David excavations.
British Museum (Accession No. 1880,0503.140): Ancient Levantine / Judaean bronze signet ring with inscribed Aramaic script bezel.
Rockefeller Archaeological Museum (Jerusalem): 6th century BC West Semitic bronze signet rings from regional Judaean fortress sites.
TRN2-1
