In 1982, a clay seal (bulla) bearing the inscription “Belonging to Gemariah son of Shaphan” was discovered in Jerusalem’s City of David. Found among 51 bullae in a building destroyed during Babylon’s invasion in 586 B.C., this small artifact packs huge significance—it likely belonged to the Gemariah of Jeremiah 36. Gemariah, a scribe and official in King Jehoiakim’s court, played a key role in the dramatic events surrounding the public reading of Jeremiah’s scroll in 604 B.C. It was in his chamber in the temple that Baruch read Jeremiah’s prophecies to the people. When Jehoiakim responded by cutting up and burning the scroll, Gemariah and others pleaded with the king not to destroy the word of God. Gemariah came from a remarkable family deeply tied to Jerusalem’s spiritual life. His father Shaphan was Josiah’s secretary of state and helped initiate major reforms after discovering the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22). His brothers Ahikam and Elasah both supported Jeremiah—Ahikam protected him from execution (Jer. 26:24), and Elasah carried Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles (Jer. 29:3). The seal impression of Gemariah, found in a secure context just before Jerusalem’s fall, provides archaeological confirmation of this biblical figure and the literacy, bureaucracy, and faith dynamics of late Judah. It’s a vivid reminder that even “minor” characters in Scripture lived real lives in real history. _________ Source: Lexham Bible Dictionary. Picture from the Israel Antiquities Authority. We read Jeremiah 36 today in Bible in One Year. For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.1517.org/oneyear