For the past 150 years, scholars and archaeologists have attempted to trace Jerusalem's northern fortification line. It's only now, through the Givati Parking Lot excavations, that this defensive system has been clearly exposed.
The 3,800-year-old fabric piece, found in caves in the Judean Desert, was colored using dye from oak scale insects, which researchers believe to be the "scarlet worm" mentioned in biblical texts.
Researchers believe the small bronze ring, which depicts Minerva – the Roman goddess of war – belonged to a woman or girl during the Late Roman Period.
"This is a world-class history-changing discovery: This find reveals to us as never before the ancient mariners' navigational skills," said the head of the Israel Antiquities Authority's (IAA) marine unit, noting that it challenges previous academic assumptions that trade during the late Bronze Age was conducted by hugging coastlines within sight of land.
The findings contradict the long-held halachic tradition that tefillin must be dyed black – a ruling from a Talmud sage, who declared that having black tefillin was a religious law originating from Moses at Mount Sinai.
Leading archaeologists theorize the mask may have represented an ancient deified ancestor figure or primordial supernatural entity that held profound symbolic importance for the prehistoric population.
The rare find will be exhibited to the public for the first time during the free "Jerusalem Mysteries" conference hosted by the Israel Antiquities Authority on Jerusalem Day.
The fragment bears a human face and was discovered in 2019.
The artifact provides a glimpse into the astrological beliefs and practices of an ancient sect, combining historical and mystical elements.
The coin, emblazoned with the name of “Eleazar the Priest” in ancient Hebrew script, is believed to date to the first year of the revolt, circa 132 CE.
