The Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum Lecture Series continues at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Lynn Wood Auditorium at Southern Adventist University.
Martin G. Klingbeil will present “Ancient Near Eastern Passports: Two Stamp Seals from Khirbet Qeiyafa.”
The seals served as the equivalent of modern passports and authenticated not only business transactions and political treaties but also served as important artifacts in the cultic sphere of the Ancient Near East.
Ancient Near Eastern seals are only about the size of a thumbprint, but they have been intricately engraved with letters and images that offer clues to the socio-political, cultural and, most interestingly, religious affiliations of their owners, according to speaker Klingbeil.
The lecture will provide an introduction to the interpretation of seals and focus specifically on two seals found at Khirbet Qeiyafa during the 2011 dig season that have not been revealed before.
Admission is free. For more information, visit southern.edu/archaeology or call 236-2030.