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The name Ahiel was found on pieces of pottery discovered among the ruins of this house. The 'House of Ahiel' is a four-room house, consisting of three parallel spaces closed off by a fourth. The roof beams were supported by pillars, part of which can be seen here. It is reasonable to assume that this was a two-story dwelling. To the right of the building, a stone toilet seat was found, indicating the high standard of living of the residents who lived there.
This residential quarter went up in flames with the rest of the city during the Babylonian destruction of 586 BC.
2nd Kings 25:9 - He burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.
The floors of these houses were covered by a think layer of ash. Beneath the rubble, one archaeologist found both Babylonian and Israelite arrowheads. Also uncovered were charred pieces of imported Syrian wood (probably pieces of furniture) with a palmette design.
At the lower end of the excavation site, archaeologists found the remains of an archive known as the House of the Bullae. The fire consumed all the scrolls and documents, but hardened and preserved the bullae—pieces of clay bearing imprints with which parchment or papyrus documents were sealed. Some of the bullae bore names known in the Bible, such as Gemaiahu, son of Shaphan, who was a high-ranking official in the court of King Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:9-12).
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