A three-year-old girl has become the latest person to accidently stumble on a valuable ancient artifact while out on a walk in Israel.
Ziv Nitzan, who is three-and-a-half, picked up a stone on a family trip to Tel Azekah near Beit Shemesh in March. After rubbing it clean, her family immediately understood that it was an important archeological find and reported it to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The seal is a Canaanite scarab amulet dating from the Middle Bronze Age, making it around 3,800 years old, according to Daphna Ben-Tor, an IAA expert in ancient amulets and seals.
“Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets. They were found in graves, in public buildings and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages that reflect religious beliefs or status,” said Ben-Tor.
Judah Region District Archeologist Semyon Gendler, working with the IAA, praised Ziv and her family for reporting the find, and awarded her a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship.
The ancient find will be included in a special display for Passover that the IAA has prepared at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, alongside other finds from the days of Egypt and Canaan, most of which are also going on show for the first time.
This is most definitely not the first time that a hiker or walker has made an unusual archeological discovery while out and about in Israel. In fact, it seems commonplace.
In January, we reported on a child who discovered a cross medallion on a school trip to Ein Kerem. A month earlier, a 12-year-old girl found an ancient scarab amulet in Hod Hasharon. Last year, a 13-year-old boy uncovered a 1,800-year-old bronze ring in Mount Carmel. There were coins discovered by accident, ancient oil lamps, old swords, magical mirrors – you name it.
The scarab found by Ziv was discovered at the foot of Tel Azekah – an important archeological site near Beit Shemesh.
Previous excavations in this area by Tel Aviv University have revealed findings from the days of the Judahite Kingdom, including city walls, agricultural installations, and more. Tel Azekah was also known as a key feature in the biblical battle scene between David and Goliath as described in the Book of Samuel.
“We have been excavating here for almost 15 years, and the excavation findings show that during the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze Ages, here in Tel Azekah, thrived one of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands,” said Prof. Oded Lipschits, director of the Tel Aviv University archeological dig, who came to meet Ziv and her sisters.
“The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period,” he added.
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