Isaiah Identified in Archaeology

By Titus Kennedy

Name: Isaiah (son of Amoz)

Time Period: 8th and 7th centuries BC (Iron Age II)

Geographical Area: Kingdom of Judah

Biblical Reference(s): 2 Kings 19:2–20:19; 2 Chronicles 32:20; Isaiah 1:1; 39:8

Ancient Source(s): Bulla of Isaiah

Identification Rating: Firm (A)

Bulla of Isaiah the prophet

Isaiah was one of the most famous prophets of antiquity, living during the 8th and 7th centuries BC around 760–680 BC and functioning as a prophet about 740–686 BC during the reigns of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. Isaiah was the son of Amoz and married a woman identified only as the prophetess, with whom he had two sons. Isaiah wrote one of the longest books in the Bible, the oldest copy of which is preserved on the Great Isaiah Scroll that dates to the 300s BC according to radiocarbon testing. According to later sources, Isaiah was executed by being sawn in two during the reign of Manasseh (cf. Hebrews 11:37; Yevamot 49b:8).

Despite fulfilling the role of prophet for more than 50 years, serving under multiple kings, and encountering the Assyrians, until recently there was no archaeology directly attesting to the renowned Isaiah, and at present, there is no archaeological confirmation for the prophets Hosea, Nahum, and Micah, who were contemporary with Isaiah. This all changed when excavations of an Iron Age II layer of the 8th to 7th century BC at the Ophel area in Jerusalem unearthed a seal impression. This discovery was a clay bulla about 1.3 cm in diameter impressed by a seal with the name “Isaiah” and the title “prophet” in the paleo-Hebrew script.

[Editor’s note: A bulla is a seal impression created by pressing a design into clay or similar soft material that hardens afterward. Bullae served as seals for ancient documents that verified their authenticity.]

The seal is divided into three registers, with the top line showing an image or a symbol of what appears to be an animal and the middle and bottom lines containing Hebrew text. Although the bulla has a small piece broken off, most of the letters are preserved, and it reads “belonging to Isaiah, prophet,” transliterated as L-YSAYH[W] NBY[A] (1 Kings 19:2). The suggestion that the NBY[…] “prophet” part could be a name is extremely unlikely, since there is only one previously known and rare personal or place name associated with those first three letters, “Nebaioth,” and there does not appear to be sufficient space for the additional W and T required for “Nebaioth” on the final line of the bulla (1 Chronicles 1:29; Isaiah 60:7).

Excavations in this area also discovered a bulla of one of the kings Isaiah served under, Hezekiah of Judah, along with 32 other Hebrew bullae with various names. It was found outside what has been called the “royal bakery,” where royal officials and other dignitaries may have discarded old letters and the clay seals attached to those documents. Another important official bulla from the time of Isaiah was found about 100 meters to the northwest of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, inside the ruins of a large Iron Age building composed of four rooms and dated to the 7th century BC. This seal impression depicts two men facing each other with each man raising one hand, perhaps in a salute or worship, and wearing striped, knee-length garments. The archaeological context in which it was found, along with the writing style used, indicates that the seal would have been used around 700 BC. Below the illustration is a Hebrew inscription reading “belonging to the governor of the city.” The position of governor of the city of Jerusalem is known from the reign of Josiah in the 7th century BC just after the time of Isaiah, with the officials Maaseiah and Joshua specifically named (2 Kings 23:8; 2 Chronicles 34:8).

These other bullae and their archaeological context demonstrate that the “Isaiah the prophet” seal impression is firmly situated around 700 BC and in the royal quarter of Jerusalem as a person who was in close association with the king and his officials. Therefore, this seal impression of Isaiah matches in name, title, time period, location, and association, indicating that Isaiah the prophet has been identified in the archaeological record.

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1).

Mazar, Eilat. “Is This the Prophet Isaiah’s Signature?” Biblical Archaeology Review 44.2 (2018).

— Dr. Titus Kennedy is a field archaeologist who has been involved in archaeological projects at 18 sites spanning 6 countries, including directing and supervising multiple projects from the Bronze Age through the Byzantine period, and has also conducted artifact research and photography at museums and collections around the world. He is a research fellow at the Discovery Institute, a university and seminary professor, a consultant, writer, and guide for history and archaeology documentaries and curricula, and regularly publishes articles about biblical archaeology and history in academic journals and magazines.

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Excerpted from Archaeology and the People of the Bible: Exploring the Evidence for the Historical Existence of Bible Characters by Titus Kennedy (Harvest Apologetics, 2026). Used by permission.

Did the people named on the pages of the Bible really exist? Who were these kings, generals, priests, administrators, prophets, governors, and scribes? Archaeological discoveries continue to provide ancient attestation for those named in the Bible, showing the historical reality of their existence.

Archaeology and the People of the Bible is a comprehensive and up-to-date resource on discoveries that demonstrate the existence of figures who appear in the Bible, including David, Hazael, Isaiah, Sargon, Jehoiachin, Belshazzar, Ahasuerus, Jesus, Caiaphas, Erastus, James, and more. You’ll find

• entries addressing more than 130 people in the Old and New Testaments who are mentioned in archaeological inscriptions and ancient manuscripts

• more than 200 photos and illustrations of archaeological discoveries that confirm the historicity of these individuals

• a rating for and information about each person, indicating how clearly archaeological evidence supports their historical identification.

With clear writing, straightforward organization, and numerous references to ancient sources and discoveries through the ages, Archaeology and the People of the Bible is a vital guide for anyone who desires to better understand biblical archaeology and history.

“Titus Kennedy has established himself in biblical archaeology not only by his excellent fieldwork but also for his production of outstanding contributions in publications. His books have especially been helpful to those seeking to understand how the science of archaeology can reveal the historical accuracy of the Bible. This book, then, will be a revelation to many who may see, for the first time, the large corpus of personal names of biblical figures in the archaeological, and thus historical, record.”

— Randall Price, PhD, Ret. Distinguished Professor of Biblical and Judaic Studies, John Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University; author, The Stones Cry Out

“Titus Kennedy uses a rigorous methodology to demonstrate that the Bible is a book about real people. Far too often, Bible readers just skip over hard-to-pronounce names, assuming they must be uninteresting or unimportant. Archaeology and the People of the Bible builds a bridge from the present to the distant past and illuminates and contextualizes the inspired ancient narratives.”

— Scott Stripling, PhD, Provost and VP of Donor Relations, President, Near East Archaeological Society

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