Israeli archaeologists have unearthed two stone seals from the First Temple period; one bears the name Elihanaḥ bat Goel (or Gael), the second that of Sa’adyahu ben Shebnayahu. While the discovery of ancient seals with personal names is unusual, the fact that a woman’s name (Elihanaḥ daughter of Goel) appears on one makes this an extremely rare find. Christopher Rollston writes:

The script of both of these seals is the standard old Hebrew script . . . [and] is nicely done, certainly the work of a trained seal maker. . . . I would contend that a date in the late 8th century or early 7th century BCE is the best date [based on the style of writing]. Regarding language, . . . both of these seals [are in] old Hebrew, and, of course, the [fact that the name Shebnayahu contains the name of God, in typical Judean fashion for this time period] argues for this as well.

I should also like to emphasize that the reason it was quite rare for women to have seals was not because, as some have apparently suggested, of the “generally inferior economic status of women.” Rather, I would contend that it was because ancient Near Eastern societies were patriarchal. For this reason, men were normally responsible for most of the agreements that would require the sealing of documents. There were certainly some exceptions, as reflected in the lofty narratives about Job’s daughters (Job 42), the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27), and the Noble Wife (Proverbs 31). But the biblical and epigraphic evidence converges to suggest that men were the normal brokers of agreements requiring sealed documents.

The fact that one of these seals is that of a woman demonstrates that she was a very prominent woman indeed, someone who must have engaged in business and legal activities that necessitated her owning a seal.

On the same day the cease-fire went into effect along the Israel-Lebanon border, rebel forces launched an unexpected offensive, and within a few days captured much of Aleppo. This lightening advance originated in the northwestern part of the country, which has been relatively quiet over the past four years, since Bashar al-Assad effectively gave up on restoring control over the remaining rebel enclaves in the area. The fighting comes at an inopportune for the powers that Damascus has called on for help in the past: Russia is bogged down in Ukraine and Hizballah has been shattered.

But the situation is extremely complex. David Wurmser points to the dangers that lie ahead:

The desolation wrought on Hizballah by Israel, and the humiliation inflicted on Iran, has not only left the Iranian axis exposed to Israeli power and further withering. It has altered the strategic tectonics of the Middle East. The story is not just Iran anymore. The region is showing the first signs of tremendous geopolitical change. And the plates are beginning to move.

The removal of the religious-totalitarian tyranny of the Iranian regime remains the greatest strategic imperative in the region for the United States and its allies, foremost among whom stands Israel. . . . However, as Iran’s regime descends into the graveyard of history, it is important not to neglect the emergence of other, new threats. navigating the new reality taking shape.

The retreat of the Syrian Assad regime from Aleppo in the face of Turkish-backed, partly Islamist rebels made from remnants of Islamic State is an early skirmish in this new strategic reality. Aleppo is falling to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS—a descendant of Nusra Front led by Abu Mohammed al-Julani, himself a graduate of al-Qaeda’s system and cobbled together of IS elements. Behind this force is the power of nearby Turkey.