Commenting on a bulla that reads לירחמאל בן המלך “(Belonging) to Yaraḥme’el son of the king,” Nahman Avigad, commenting on the phrase “son of the king,” Noted that:
The
significance of the title “son of the king” is a matter of scholarly
controversy. Some interpret it literally, claiming that the seal-owner was a
member of the royal family, holding some function in the royal service. In
contrast, others hold that this was the title of a royal official unrelated to
the king.
The
second interpretation is based on the fact that in the Bible five persons are
described as “son of the king,” and only one of these is known to have been of
the royal family—Jotham son of Uzziah. Three others carried out functions
connected with police and prison activities. Joash the king’s son and Jarahmeel
the king’s son, who were involved in the arrest and imprisonment of the prophets
Micaiah and Jeremiah, and of Baruch the scribe; and Maaseiah the king’s son,
mentioned in association with other officials. (Nahman Avigad, Hebrew Bullae
from the Time of Jeremiah: Remnants of a Burnt Archive [Jerusalem: Israel
Exploration Society, 1986], 27)
