Excavations at Carchemish have uncovered 250 bullae (impression seals) from the Hittite kingdom. Archaeologists report that among the bullae, more than 110 of them have inscriptions that are decipherable, and that these identify more than 10 Hittite state officials. Excavations led by the Turks and Italians have been ongoing at the site since 2001, but the discovery of inscriptions dating to the second half of the early Bronze Age only began this year. Carchemish was one of the most important cities in the ancient Hittite empire and the site of an important battle between the Egyptians and Babylonians that is mentioned in the Bible (Jer. 46:2; 2 Chr. 35:20). Much of the confusion surrounding the biblical Hittites has been cleared up by Dr. Bryant Wood in his article examining Scriptures concerning the terms Hittite and Hethite (link below).
Off-site Links:
- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/impression-seals-to-illuminate-hittite-administration.aspx?pageID=238&nID=116395&NewsCatID=375
Dr. Wood's article on Hittites/Hethites:
- http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2011/11/08/Hittites-and-Hethites-A-Proposed-Solution-to-an-Etymological-Conundrum.aspx