Ancient Seal Lends Credence to Biblical Samson Tale
An ancient seal slightly smaller than a penny apparently depicts a man fighting a lion, which archaeologists believe could be an early reference to the biblical tale of Samson. The find doesn’t prove that the legendary strongman, who was said to have torn apart a lion as if it were a “young goat,” actually lived, but it does “anchor the story in an archaeological setting,” said Tel Aviv University archaeologist Shlomo Bunimovitz.
The seal was found at Beth Shemesh, an archaeological site between the ancient cities of Zorah and Eshtaol, about 12 miles west of Jerusalem. Archaeologists date the seal to the 12th century B.C.