This report comes to members of AIAS from Stephen Gabriel Rosenberg, W.F Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem Israel
First Temple Period Seal from Jerusalem
A seal bearing the name Elihana bat Gael was recently unearthed in a large building in the Givati parking lot that was being excavated in the City of David area. It was inscribed in paleo-Hebrew lettering in reverse script and was found with another seal in similar lettering inscribed with the name of Sa’aryahu ben Shabenyahu, a male. Both seals were considered to be about 2,500 years old. Finding such seals is a rarity and finding one of a female is even rarer. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), she must have been an important person who had legal status, “allowing her to conduct business and own property”. In this case, she must have been of a very elevated status as her name is given as the daughter of her father and not as the wife of her husband, which was the more common case.
Ancient Egyptian Amulet Discovered by Young Girl
In the sifting programme organised by Gabriel Barkai, a twelve-year-old girl, Neshama Spielman, has uncovered a rare Egyptian Amulet bearing the name of Thutmose III of the 15th century BCE. Spielman noticed the find as something special as it was on a piece of pottery different from others and handed it over to the experts for further identification. Thutmose III (1479-1425 BCE) is credited with extending Egypt in domination over Canaan and defeating a coalition of Canaanite kings at Megiddo in 1457 BCE according to Barkai.
Second Temple Settlement and Synagogue on the Sea of Galilee
Excavations at Migdal, ancient Magdala, on the western banks of the Kinneret have revealed a two-thousand year old settlement and its synagogue. The site is of the Roman period and of interest to Christians as well as Jews as it was known as the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, who was the first witness of the resurrection of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke. The synagogue contained a number of significant remains including a large stone in the central hall with a carving of the Jerusalem Temple, an inscribed jug and an incense shovel. The site is open to the public and excavation work will continue next season by the IAA with a group of students and volunteers from Mexico.
Return of Egyptian Sarcophagi
A number of ancient wooden coffin lids that were stolen from Egypt, smuggled to Dubai and then taken to London and a shop in the Old City of Jerusalem, have been seized by the IAA and will be returned to Egypt. They have been examined as being authentic and having been cut from ancient coffins, and the IAA will ensure that they are returned to Cairo in the near future. The items were smuggled in 2012, damaged and deliberately cut in half for easier transportation.
Roman Treasure Trove off Caesarea
Divers discovered Roman artefacts in a shipwreck off Caesarea in April 2016. The items included a candlestick devoted to the sun-god Sol and a statue of the moon goddess Luna, as well as vessels for carrying water, all in bronze and excellent condition, having been preserved by a covering of the local sea sand.
The divers will be rewarded by a special citation for reporting their find to the IAA, who will be examining the finds further before displaying them to the public.
Roman Gold Coin Found in Galilee
While hiking in the eastern Galilee, Laurie Rimon, a member of Kibbutz Kfar Blum, found a rare gold coin, which was only the second gold coin of its type found in the world, according to the IAA to whom Laurie submitted it. According to Donald Ariel head of the IAA Coin Department, the find could indicate the presence of the Roman army in the area two thousand years ago when quelling the Bar-Kochba revolt. Some Roman officers were paid a high salary of three gold coins. The coin shows the symbols of the Roman army with the name of the Emperor Trajan on one side and a portrait of Emperor Augustus deified on the other. The only other known version of the coin is on display in the British Museum in London.
Ancient Glass Kilns Found Near Haifa
During the construction of the Jezreel Valley Railway project, the oldest Israeli kilns were uncovered, which had been used for the manufacture of glass. According to the IAA, the kilns produced glass that was sold throughout the Middle East and was the first-known production of this material. It seems that the sand from the area of Akko was particularly fine and suitable for manufacturing. Gas and chemical analysis has shown that glass items from Europe and in shipwrecks came from this area. The ancient kilns were deemed to be 1,600 years old and the IAA discovered that they contained fragments of raw Judean glass. The kilns date to the late Roman period and indicate that Israel was one of the foremost centres for the production of glass in the ancient world.
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