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The
Seal of an Assassin
This is the first to be found and what makes this seal especially interesting
is that the king who owned the seal, a certain Ba'alis, is also
referred to in the Bible. When the Babylonians conquered Judah in the
early 6th century BCE and destroyed Jerusalem, they made Gedaliah, a member of
a prominent Jerusalem family, governor of Judah. But he was soon murdered, an
event still commemorated in Jewish tradition by an annual fast. The assassin
was sent by none other than Ba'alis, King of the Ammonites. |
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The
Sons of Ammon
Archaeology has also uncovered a reference to the Ammonite’s on an ancient
bronze bottle. Found near Ammon, Jordan, the relic belonged to Amminadab the
first, king of the Ammonites.(650 B.C.) It is engraved with the words: “The
Sons of Ammon.” |
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Shalmaneser's
Monolith
Another famous artifact known as the monolith inscription, from Shalmaneser,
mentions the leader of an Ammonite army along with Ahab
the King of Israel.
The inscription reads:
"To strengthen his forces he was assisted by Hadadezer of Damascus who had
1,200 chariots and cavalrymen, along with 20,000 soldiers on foot . . . 2,000
chariots and 10,000 troops of Ahab from Israel . . . military forces of Basa,
the son of Ruhubi, the Ammonite. Combined they numbered
twelve kings." |
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Scriptures
Jeremiah 40:14 And
said unto him, Dost thou certainly know
that Baalis the King
of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael
the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But
Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed
them not.
2 Samuel 10:1 And
it came to pass after this, that the king
of the children of Ammon died,
and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
Judges 11:12 And Jephthah
sent messengers unto the king
of the children of Ammon, saying,
What hast thou to do with me, that thou art
come against me to fight in my land?
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