When 10-year-old Nehorai Nir recently went on a class trip to the picturesque Ein Karem neighborhood in southern Jerusalem, he was picking edible plants on a hill and suddenly saw a colorful object shining in the dirt.

“I pulled it out and was immediately very excited. The staff called the Israel Antiquities Authority, and when they came, they were very excited too.”

The golden medallion, made with a micro-mosaic technique, was examined by Amit Re’em, Jerusalem District archeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“This cross medallion is not considered an antiquity by law as it is ‘only’ 100 to 200 years old or so, but it is a unique object,” he said.

“The manufacturing method demanded expert craftsmanship, which includes setting glass and tiny coloful precious stones, placed with exceeding precision to form miniature patterns. This technique was developed in Rome about the year 1800 or slightly earlier, and continued until the early 20th century.”

Re’em said the significance of this medallion is embedded in its findspot — Ein Karem, a site venerated by Christians because it is identified with the “town in Judah” where John the Baptist was born and where his mother Elizabeth, while pregnant, met Jesus’ mother at a well.

Because of this tradition, two churches were established in Ein Karem: the Church of the Visitation and the Church of Saint John. They drew generations of pilgrims from across Europe to make Ein Karem a central visitation site, as they made their way from the coastal port cities up to the Old City of Jerusalem.

“This cross is a testament to the personal story of a pilgrim who visited Ein Karem 100 to 200 years ago, reflecting the centrality of the Holy Land to the three monotheistic religions,” added Re’em.

“People were willing to cross deserts, mountains and seas, often over the course of years, just to touch the soil where it all began. The cross may have arrived with a pilgrim from Europe, or perhaps it was purchased here in Jerusalem,” he said.

“When Nehorai shared the story of the discovery, one could almost imagine the moment the pendant was lost—only to be found by the boy about a century later.”

Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido thanked Nehorai for his alertness and his prompt report of the medallion’s discovery.

“This exciting find in the very month that Christians celebrate Christmas puts the spotlight on Ein Karem as a central place of Christian pilgrimage in the Land of Israel. Through the medium of a small but unique object, we are exposed to the story of one individual’s thrilling personal journey, which connects us to the history of this site and to the world of the pilgrims.”