Saturday, February 18, 2023

Nahman Avigad on the meaning of "Son of the King" (בן המלך)

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)