Armstrong International Cultural Foundation Announces World Premiere of Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah

Items on display will include nearly three dozen artifacts from the time of King Hezekiah, including the recently discovered royal seal impressions of King Hezekiah and Isaiah from the Ophel excavations, royal Judean clay vessels, and weapons used during the siege of Lachish. The exhibit will also feature key Assyrian history and will include such artifacts as the famous Annals of Sennacherib Prism (aka Taylor/Jerusalem/Oriental Prism), various other Assyrian inscriptions, and replicas of the famous Assyrian wall reliefs.

"The stars of the show are the Hezekiah and Isaiah bullae," said Brad Macdonald, curator of the exhibit. "But the supporting cast – the arrow heads from Lachish, Sennacherib's prism, the Assyrian wall reliefs – is also pretty extraordinary. We will use maps, illustrations, interactive aids, and storyboards to connect all these articles and create what we believe will be a unique and moving experience."

Discovered by archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University, the clay seals, called bullae, were found only one yard apart on the Ophel at the foot of the Temple Mount. According to their inscriptions, the seals belong to King Hezekiah of Judah, who ruled in the 8^th century B.C. and Isaiah, possibly "the prophet."

"This is truly a historic exhibition. Artifacts from the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem have been exhibited previously, but these exhibits have never included the seals of King Hezekiah and Isaiah," Macdonald said. "Visitors would have to travel to London, Jerusalem, Istanbul and Chicago to see everything on display. Here we've brought them all together in one place."

Edmond's Herbert W. Armstrong College assists Dr. Mazar's Temple Mount Ophel excavations and helped uncover both the Hezekiah and Isaiah, and now has the honor of hosting the world premiere.

A grand opening is scheduled for Sunday, June 10, at 11:00 a.m. at the Armstrong Auditorium. The opening will also celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the AICF's "iron-bridge" partnership with Benjamin and Eilat Mazar. Tickets for the grand opening celebration are available at www.ArmstrongAuditorium.org or by calling (405) 285-1010.

The "Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered" exhibition is free and open to the public June 10 – August 19 in the lobby of Armstrong Auditorium. Opening hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fridays and Sundays.  The exhibit is closed Saturdays.  Free guided tours are available.

For more information call (405) 285-1010 or visit www.ArmstrongAuditorium.org.

The Edmond-based Armstrong International Cultural Foundation is a non-profit humanitarian organization sponsored by the Philadelphia Church of God with executive offices on the campus of Herbert W. Armstrong College. The foundation's cultural activities include a series of performing arts concerts at Armstrong Auditorium and support of archaeological excavations in Israel.

The foundation and college are named after Herbert W. Armstrong, whose Ambassador College entered a 50-50 partnership with Hebrew University and the grandfather of Dr. Eilat Mazar, Dr. Benjamin Mazar, in 1968 to excavate the southern and western walls of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The results of these excavations today form the largest section of the Jerusalem Archaeological Park.

SOURCE Armstrong International Cultural Foundation

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