Video Transcript
Narrator: Imagine you’re a king. You’re the ruler of an English territory in the 15th century. Suddenly, a messenger on horseback arrives from a far away place. He’s carrying an important announcement written on a scroll. Your territory owes a large debt due at the end of the month. But here’s the problem: How would you know if this message is authentic?
This is actually a very old problem. Proving the legitimacy of written correspondence was a challenge for thousands of years. When communication over vast distances takes days, weeks, or months it becomes vitally important to know if the information you’re getting is accurate or coming from the right source.
People in ancient times needed to develop a system for authentication of documents. A document could be written by a true author, but the document itself could be tampered with. A carefully inserted “not” could really mess up a document. Also, the document could be entirely fabricated, meaning the purported author never even created it in the first place.
The use of a “seal” to solve this problem can be traced back all the way to ancient Mesopotamia. Clay would be pressed with engraved or carved cylinders to prove the legitimacy of tablets. These carved cylinders had intricate designs that were difficult to replicate.
Then, in the middle ages, the use of wax seals began. At first only reserved for the wealthy or ruling class, warm wax would be poured and used to seal up the document. Then the wax would be pressed with the metal seal, leaving a unique and distinct mark. If the wax had been broken, it would mean the document has been opened and read or manipulated.
The metal seal device is referred to as the seal matrix or die. This would be a one of a kind, unique and complicated design. Sometimes, these seals were created in the form of a ring. This type of seal is called a signet ring. There’s reference to one in the book of Genesis. It says, “Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand.” A seal or signet ring would carry the “mark” of the king. It showed the presence and the authority of the royalty.
These seals speak of the authenticity of a message and a person. There is an old tradition of pilgrims receiving a tattoo when traveling to Jerusalem for the first time. Pilgrims would get the Jerusalem cross tattoo to prove they’d traveled to the Holy Land. The Jerusalem cross is a bit intricate, and it proved the authenticity of a pilgrimage. This tattoo meant the trip and the experience changed them forever.
As seals became used more and more by everyday people, they’ve become a sign of recognition of friendship and community. Seeing someone with the same tattoo as you, or seeing a seal from a town you’re from, the seal has the power to bring together friends and represent fraternity.
It’s hard to hear about this tradition and not think of the seals of old that verified the authenticity of a message, and their author. Could other signs on the body signify a spiritual reality – a seal on the soul?
