Jar handles inscribed "For the King"

Throughout the territory of Judah, but especially in Lachish, Ramat Rachel and Jerusalem, archaeologists have discovered hundreds of jar handles bearing the inscription, "For the King" (lamelekh), followed by the name Hebron or Soco or Zif or Mamshit. All were made of the same kind of clay, probably in one place. Some bear the image of a scarab, others of the sun with wings. In more than a hundred handles, there also appears a seal impression bearing a personal name, apparently of a royal functionary. The investigation of the many examples from Lachish, found in the debris from the Assyrian destruction of 701 BC, has shown that all date from this period, when the king was Hezekiah.

The jars would have contained wine, grain and oil. These provisions would have been collected at the four named places, then packed in the jars and distributed. (We don't know where Mamshit was, because the city of that name in the Negev has not yielded finds from this period; Ramat Rahel, just south of Jerusalem, has been suggested.) This is not to suggest that the four places were especially big or important. It is more likely that they were securely in Hezekiah's grip and well-located for collection (although Zif and Hebron are so near each other as to seem redundant).

What was the purpose of this system? The many private names may offer a partial clue. It was the practice in Assyria to pay royal functionaries with wine and grain. Hezekiah perhaps copied this. That would explain why so many handles were found in the three cities of royal residence: Jerusalem, Ramat Rahel, and Lachish. In them lived most of the officials. The personal names might have been those of the intended recipients. When Hezekiah prepared his revolt against Assyria, he perhaps adapted this system in order to store provisions in the towns of Judah, for he knew they would be under siege.

For a summary, see Jericke 27-31.