Armstrong College to host archaeological exhibition
EDMOND — Armstrong International Cultural Foundation will host the world premiere of “Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered,” an archaeological exhibition, from June 10 through Aug. 19 at Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S Bryant Road.
Exhibition visitors will discover the history of ancient Judah’s most famous king-prophet pairing — a story which illuminates how Jerusalem escaped annihilation at the hands of King Sennacherib’s Assyrian army at the end of the 8th century B.C.
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 also will feature key Assyrian history and will include such artifacts as the famous Annals of Sennacherib Prism (also known as 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 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 8th 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 Mazar’s Temple Mount Ophel excavations and helped uncover both the Hezekiah and Isaiah seals, and now has the honor of hosting the world premiere.
A grand opening is set for 11 a.m. June 10 at the Armstrong Auditorium. The opening also will celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation’s “ironbridge” partnership with Benjamin and Eilat Mazar.
The “Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered” exhibition will be free and open to the public June 10 through Aug. 19 in the lobby of Armstrong Auditorium. Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Sunday. The exhibit will be closed on Saturday. Free guided tours are available.
Tickets for the grand opening celebration are available at 285-1010 or www.Armstrong Auditorium.org.