Clay bullae—small, personalized stamps that would be pressed into wax to seal letters in ancient times—have repeated provided crucial insights into the biblical world. Just a few weeks ago, a volunteer found a bulla, dated by archaeologists to the 7th century BCE, bearing the name of “Adoniyahu, the royal steward.” Amanda Borschel-Dan writes:

According to the archaeologist Eli Shukron, . . . the role of the royal steward—[literally, “he who is over the house,” or] asher al ha-bayit—appears several times in the Bible and is used for the highest-level minister in the royal court. For example, the title of royal steward was used in the book of Genesis for Joseph’s high-powered position in Egypt.

The new Adoniyahu inscription gives a potential link to a 150-year-old mystery: a First Temple-era, 7th-century BCE rock-cave grave, which is also inscribed with the words “asher al ha-bayit.” The inscription, today found in the British Museum, has a partial name ending with the same three Hebrew letters as that on the new clay bulla.

The name Adoniyahu, [in English, Adonijah], appears in several iterations in the Bible, but not during eras that correspond to the 7th century BCE—the time period of the clay sealing. The most famous Adoniyahu occurs some 300 years before this newly attested Adoniyahu, and is a son of King David. He is called both Adoniyah and Adoniyahu.

There are two other notable Adoniyahus recounted in the Bible. One, a Levite, appears during the reign of Jehoshaphat (circa 870–849 BCE) [and] is mentioned in Chronicles. The other noteworthy Adoniyahu is found during the rule of Nehemiah, which occurs during the Persian era of the Second Temple period, circa 465-424 BCE.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.