In biblical times, the concept of a signature as we understand it today was not prevalent. However, the use of seals, marks, or other forms of identification served a similar purpose. These methods were employed to authenticate documents, establish authority, and signify ownership or agreement.

Seals and Signets

Seals were commonly used in the ancient Near East as a means of authenticating documents and securing items. A seal was typically a small engraved object, often made of stone or metal, that was pressed into clay or wax to leave an impression. This impression served as a signature, indicating the identity and authority of the person who owned the seal.

In the Bible, seals are mentioned in various contexts. For example, in the account of Judah and Tamar, Judah gives Tamar his seal, cord, and staff as a pledge (Genesis 38:18). This indicates the importance of the seal as a personal identifier. Similarly, in the book of Esther, King Ahasuerus gives his signet ring to Haman, and later to Mordecai, to authorize decrees in his name (Esther 3:10, 8:8). The signet ring functioned as a royal signature, granting the bearer the authority to act on behalf of the king.

Covenants and Agreements

In biblical times, covenants and agreements were often confirmed with a symbolic act or a written document. While signatures as we know them were not used, the act of sealing a document or making a public declaration served a similar purpose. For instance, in the book of Nehemiah, the leaders of the people sign a written covenant to follow God's law, and their names are listed as a testimony to their commitment (Nehemiah 9:38, 10:1).

Marks and Identification

The Bible also speaks of marks used for identification, which can be seen as a form of signature. In Ezekiel 9:4, God instructs a man to put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve over the abominations committed in Jerusalem. This mark serves as a sign of protection and identification. Similarly, in Revelation, the mark of the beast is described as a means of identifying those who align with the beast (Revelation 13:16-17).

Authority and Authentication

The use of seals and marks in the Bible underscores the importance of authority and authentication. A seal or mark was a tangible representation of one's identity and authority, much like a signature today. It conveyed trust, responsibility, and the binding nature of agreements.

Spiritual Significance

In a spiritual sense, the concept of a signature can be seen in the way God marks His people. Believers are said to be sealed with the Holy Spirit, which serves as a guarantee of their inheritance and identity in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). This divine seal signifies God's ownership and the believer's secure position in Him.

In summary, while the Bible does not explicitly mention signatures as we know them, the use of seals, marks, and symbolic acts served similar purposes in biblical times. These practices emphasized authority, authentication, and the binding nature of covenants and agreements, reflecting the importance of identity and commitment in the biblical narrative.1. (n.) A sign, stamp, or mark impressed, as by a seal.

2. (v. t.) Especially, the name of any person, written with his own hand, employed to signify that the writing which precedes accords with his wishes or intentions; a sign manual; an autograph.

3. (n.) An outward mark by which internal characteristics were supposed to be indicated.

4. (n.) A resemblance between the external characters of a disease and those of some physical agent, for instance, that existing between the red skin of scarlet fever and a red cloth; -- supposed to indicate this agent in the treatment of the disease.

5. (n.) The designation of the key (when not C major, or its relative, A minor) by means of one or more sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff, immediately after the clef, affecting all notes of the same letter throughout the piece or movement. Each minor key has the same signature as its relative major.

6. (n.) A letter or figure placed at the bottom of the first page of each sheet of a book or pamphlet, as a direction to the binder in arranging and folding the sheets.

7. (n.) The printed sheet so marked, or the form from which it is printed; as, to reprint one or more signatures.

8. (v. t.) That part of a prescription which contains the directions to the patient. It is usually prefaced by S or Sig. (an abbreviation for the Latin signa, imperative of signare to sign or mark).

9. (v. t.) To mark with, or as with, a signature or signatures.

4972. sphragizo -- to seal
... owner. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which
guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4972.htm - 8k8420a. tav -- a mark
... a mark. Transliteration: tav Short Definition: mark. Word Origin from an unused
word Definition a mark NASB Word Usage mark (2), signature (1). 8420, 8420a. ...
/hebrew/8420a.htm - 5k

8420. tav -- a mark
... very froward thing, perverse thing From tavah; a mark; by implication, a signature --
desire, mark. see HEBREW tavah. 8419, 8420. tav. 8420a . ...
/hebrew/8420.htm - 5k

2368. chotham -- a seal, signet ring
... seal, signet. Or chotham {kho-thawm'}; from chatham; a signature-ring -- seal, signet.
see HEBREW chatham. 2367, 2368. chotham or chotham. 2369 . ...
/hebrew/2368.htm - 6k

Introductory Note.
... represented at it at all (as we shall see presently); that when the Emperor afterwards
sent the canons to the Pope to receive his signature, he absolutely ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/introductory note.htm

The Kingly Priesthood of the Saints
... Far, far back in eternity, the Magna Charta of the saints was written by the
hand of God, and it needed one signature to make it valid. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the kingly priesthood of the.htm

Now in Vergilius and in Many of that Time the Human Heart had ...
... my good son, why"why should I?' There, spread before me on the table, so I knew
he wished me to see it, was a letter which bore the signature of Manius and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 23 now in vergilius.htm

St. Basil and Eustathius.
... [211] But he signed almost every creed that went about for signature in his
lifetime. [212] He was consistent only in inconsistency. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/viii st basil and eustathius.htm

Letter Lxxii. (AD 404. )
... I. 1. You are sending me letter upon letter, and often urging me to answer a certain
letter of yours, a copy of which, without your signature, had reached me ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxii a d 404.htm

The Scotch Covenants and the Scotch Kirk.
... James Aikman: An Historical Account of Covenanting in Scotland, from the first Band
in Mearns, 1556, to the Signature of the Grand National Covenant, 1638. ...
/.../ 90 the scotch covenants.htm

Our Inheritance
... A will or testament must specify the nature of the inheritance, mention distinctly
the names of the heirs, must have the signature of the testator affixed in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/byers/sanctification/chapter v our inheritance.htm

The Hiding-Place
... The view of life that arises from the combination of these three bears upon its
front the signature of truth in the very fact that it is a sad view. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the hiding-place.htm

Letter cxxvi. (AD 411. )
... written should be subscribed. We dismissed the catechumens, and he adhibited
his signature to the document at once. Then we [Alypius ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cxxvi a d 411.htm

Boehme's Universe
... "The whole outward visible world, with all its being, is a 'signature' or figure
of the inward, spiritual World, and everything has a character that fits an ...
/.../chapter x boehmes universe.htm

Signature (1 Occurrence)
... Each minor key has the same signature as its relative major. ... 9. (vt) To mark with,
or as with, a signature or signatures. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/s/signature.htm - 8k

Mark (182 Occurrences)
... a trade-mark. 6. (n.) A character (usually a cross) made as a substitute
for a signature by one who can not write. 7. (n.) A fixed ...
/m/mark.htm - 93k

Seal (47 Occurrences)
... 8:6; Isaiah 8:16; Jeremiah 22:24; 32:44, etc.). Sealing a document was
equivalent to the signature of the owner of the seal. "The ...
/s/seal.htm - 38k

Signed (8 Occurrences)

/s/signed.htm - 9k

Natural (49 Occurrences)
... instrumental music. 13. (a.) of or pertaining to a key which has neither a flat
nor a sharp for its signature, as the key of C major. 14. (a ...
/n/natural.htm - 42k

Opponent (13 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Job 31:35 Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my signature: let the
Almighty answer me! And let mine opponent write an accusation! (DBY). ...
/o/opponent.htm - 10k

Indictment (4 Occurrences)
... Job 31:35 oh that I had one to hear me! (behold, here is my signature, let
the Almighty answer me); let the accuser write my indictment! ...
/i/indictment.htm - 7k

Forge (2 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) To make falsely; to produce, as that which is untrue or not genuine; to
fabricate; to counterfeit, as, a signature, or a signed document. ...
/f/forge.htm - 9k

Cross (157 Occurrences)
... varieties. 8. (n.) The cross like mark or symbol used instead of a signature
by those unable to write. 9. (n.) Church lands. 10. ...
/c/cross.htm - 50k

Counterfeit (3 Occurrences)
... 8. (vt) To imitate with a view to deceiving, by passing the copy for that which
is original or genuine; to forge; as, to counterfeit the signature of another ...
/c/counterfeit.htm - 9k

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