Stone Seal Discovery Gives Support to Samson Bible Account
“The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands.” (Judges 14:6)
A small seal dating back over three millenniums to the 11th century BC was recently discovered at Tel Beit (Beth) Shemesh (House of the Sun), an important city during biblical times.
It dates to the time of Samson, whose wife lived in nearby Tel Batash (the town of Timnah in the Bible).
or Beth Shemesh) and seems to depict a man fighting a large animal,
has excited discussion among archaeologists. Some believe that it is
evidence that supports the Bible account of Samson.
The seal, which measures a little over half an inch (1.5 centimeters) in diameter, is important because it depicts a large animal accompanied by the figure of a man.
Since the level at which it was found corresponds to the period of the biblical judges, including Samson, experts are saying that the artifact reflects the story of Samson’s destruction of the lion as described in the Book of Judges.
Judges 14:5–6 tells how Samson, who was a judge in Israel for 20 years, was on the way with his parents to acquire a Philistine bride when he was attacked by a lion:
“Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.”
Later when Samson was returning to marry the Philistine woman, he saw the lion’s carcass with a swarm of bees in it and honey. The Bible tells us that he scooped out the honey from the lion’s carcass and ate it (Judges 14:8–9).
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