Current:Home > MyHiker discovers rare 2,800-year-old amulet in Israel-InfoLens
Hiker discovers rare 2,800-year-old amulet in Israel
View Date:2024-12-23 11:22:47
A hiker in Israel discovered a centuries-old amulet in a nature reserve, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday.
The hiker, identified by the authority as 45-year-old Israel Defense Forces reservist Erez Avrahamov, found the amulet in the Tabor Stream Nature Reserve in Lower Galilee. Avrahamov said he decided to hike in the area because he had some time off from reserve service and wanted to take advantage of sunny weather.
"While walking, I saw something shiny on the ground, and at first I thought it was a bead or an orange stone," Avrahamov said in a news release shared by the Israel Antiquities Authority. "When I picked it up, I noticed it was engraved like a scarab or beetle."
Avrahamov then called the antiquities authority to report the "amazing find." He connected with Nir Distelfeld, an antiquities robbery prevention unit inspector at the agency, who told him to look at the flat side of the scarab and see if it was engraved. Avrahamov said that he could see a figure or image on the back of the item.
Distelfeld said that he knew immediately that Avrahamov "had found something special."
Othmar Keel, a professor emeritus at Switzerland's University of Fribourg, said the stone was made of a semiprecious stone called carnelian. The carving depicts "either a mythical griffin creature or a galloping winged horse," and similar pieces have been dated to the 8th century B.C. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the scarab is a type of seal used widely throughout the ancient world and were made from a wide variety of stones.
Distelfeld said that the scarab was found at the foot of Tel Rekhesh, a Biblical mound and archaeological site. Itzik Paz, an Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist who has conducted excavations at the site, the scarab is "one of the most important finds" seen there.
At the time the scarab was made, a large fortress believed to have been under Assyrian control would have stood on the site, Paz said. That means it's possible that the scarab "testifies to the presence of Assyrian (or possibly Babylonian) administration at the site," according to Paz, and may confirm the occupants of the fortress.
- In:
- Israel
- Archaeologist
Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (65)
Related
- 2 weeks after Peanut the Squirrel's euthanasia, owner is seeking answers, justice
- How Alex Cooper Knew Husband Matt Kaplan Was The One Amid Emotional Health Journey
- Why Princess Diaries' Heather Matarazzo Left Hollywood for Michigan
- Fantasy football draft strategy: Where to attack each position in 2024
- Tesla Cybertruck modifications upgrade EV to a sci-fi police vehicle
- PHOTO COLLECTION: Election 2024 DNC Celebrities
- UPS driver suffering from heat exhaustion 'passed out,' got into crash, Teamsters say
- House of Villains Trailer Teases Epic Feud Between Teresa Giudice and Tiffany New York Pollard
- Inflation ticked up in October, CPI report shows. What happens next with interest rates?
- 3 people charged after death of federal prison worker who opened fentanyl-laced mail
Ranking
- Britney Spears Reunites With Son Jayden Federline After His Move to Hawaii
- Education official announces last-ditch spending strategy for federal COVID-19 funds
- Gayle King dishes on her SI Swimsuit cover, how bestie Oprah accommodates her needs
- Mindy Kaling Gives Ben Affleck an Onstage Shoutout at DNC Amid Jennifer Lopez Divorce
- Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98
- Ranking the 10 best college football quarterbacks ahead of the season
- Georgia counties urge state elections board to stop changing rules ahead of November
- Bill Clinton’s post-presidential journey: a story told in convention speeches
Recommendation
-
As Northeast wildfires keep igniting, is there a drought-buster in sight?
-
Georgia counties urge state elections board to stop changing rules ahead of November
-
PHOTO COLLECTION: Election 2024 DNC Day 3
-
Alaska Supreme Court to hear arguments in case seeking to keep ranked vote repeal measure off ballot
-
DWTS' Gleb Savchenko Shares Why He Ended Brooks Nader Romance Through Text Message
-
Georgia lawmaker urges panel to consider better firearms safety rules to deter child gun deaths
-
Young mother killed in gunfire during brawl at Alabama apartment complex, authorities say
-
Iowa abortion providers dismiss legal challenge against state’s strict law now that it’s in effect