Two additional water systems from the same period join this newly uncovered structure. A tower that dammed the Gihon Spring and a channel that carried its waters into the Pool of Siloam, where they merged with floodwaters blocked by the dam, form this comprehensive network. These systems demonstrate comprehensive urban planning for managing Jerusalem's water supply as early as the late 9th century BCE, providing clear evidence of the city's strength and sophistication.

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A three-and-a-half-year-old girl made an extraordinary archaeological discovery during a family outing near Beit Shemesh last month, unearthing an ancient seal dating back approximately 3,800 years.

Ziv Nitzan from Moshav Ramot Meir stumbled upon the rare artifact while hiking with her family at Tel Azeka in early March. "We were walking along the path, and then Ziv bent down – and out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular stone," recounts Omer Nitzan, Ziv's sister. "When she rubbed it and removed the sand from it, we saw something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realized we had discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority."

The family promptly reported their finding to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Semyon Gendler, district archaeologist for Judea, commended Ziv and her family for their quick reporting and presented her with a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship.

Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor, an expert in ancient amulets and seals, identified the object as a Canaanite scarab from the Middle Bronze Age. "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."

The small, decorated scarab-shaped seals originated in ancient Egypt and were designed in the form of a dung beetle. This beetle was considered sacred by ancient Egyptians and symbolized new life, as it created a ball of dung in which it laid its eggs, from which new life emerged.

The artifact was discovered at the foot of Tel Azeka, an important archaeological site in the Shephelah region with evidence of numerous cultures throughout history. Excavations by Tel Aviv University researchers have revealed findings from the kingdom of Judah, including city walls and agricultural installations. Tel Azeka is also known as the biblical battlefield where David confronted Goliath.

"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 Professor Oded Lipschits, director of the archaeological excavation at the site for Tel Aviv University. "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."

The ancient seal will be displayed in a special Passover exhibition organized by the IAA at the National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem, alongside other artifacts from Egyptian and Canaanite periods, most of which are being presented for the first time.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu praised the discovery, noting, "The seal that little Ziv found during a family trip to Tel Azekah connects us to a grand story, that of the ancient civilizations that lived in this land thousands of years ago. The scarab Ziv found also reminds us that in the Land of Israel, even children can be a part of discovering history."

"Ziv, and her family, deserve praise for handing over the find to the National Treasures of the state of Israel," says Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "Thanks to her, everyone will be able to see it and enjoy it."

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A University of South Florida researcher has unearthed the first physical evidence of hallucinogenic substances in an ancient Egyptian ceremonial vessel, validating centuries-old accounts of ancient Egyptian rituals. Through sophisticated chemical analysis, researcher Davide Tanasi examined one of the world's few surviving specimens of these mysterious cups.

The vessels, including one donated to the Tampa Museum of Art in 1984, feature the distinctive head of Bes, an ancient Egyptian deity or guardian demon associated with protection, fertility, healing, and purification. The research, published in Nature, resolves a 2,000-year-old Egyptian enigma.

"Our findings are unprecedented in this field of research," Tanasi said. "We've achieved the first-ever complete chemical signature identification of the liquid contents from an ancient Egyptian vessel, including the plants utilized by the Egyptians, each possessing psychotropic properties.

"Scholars have long debated the purpose of these vessels and their contents," Branko van Oppen, curator of Greek and Roman art at the Tampa Museum of Art said. "There was considerable uncertainty whether these vessels served everyday purposes, religious functions, or magical rituals."

Tanasi, conducting this research as part of the Mediterranean Diet Archaeology project, collaborated with fellow researchers at the Universities of Trieste and Milan in Italy to perform chemical analyses and DNA testing.

The analysis revealed a complex mixture of psychedelic substances, bodily fluids, and alcohol – a combination that Tanasi believes was integral to a magical ceremony reenacting an Egyptian myth, presumably connected to fertility. The concoction was enhanced with honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, and grape juice, the latter commonly employed to give the mixture a blood-like appearance.

"Religion represents one of the most compelling aspects of ancient civilizations," Tanasi said. "This research provides scientific evidence supporting elements of Egyptian mythological accounts, helping illuminate ceremonial practices near the Great Pyramids of Giza that have remained largely enigmatic until now."

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Artifacts from the Second Temple Period that have recently been discovered at a dig near the Cave of Patriarchs could be lost as a result of a legal battle.

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The artifacts were discovered during construction works that began earlier this year as part of the effort to make the site more accessible to disabled people.

They include artifacts from various eras, including that of the Ottoman Empire. Among the finds is a chiseled stone that belonged to the nearby Cave of the Patriarchs but was disposed of for some reason, as well as various stones that served as part of a foundation of a building from the Second Temple Period and vestiges of a fort built by the Crusaders.

But the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria, which runs the place on behalf of the Ministry of Defense, has decided to seal the excavations with soil in order to make way for a path for disabled visitors. This is partly because of a technicality: The works have been carried out in a limited capacity only as an extension of a license that is limited for the specific accessibility project. The permit cannot be used for an official archaeological purpose and limits excavation only to the extent necessary.

Jewish residents of Hebron have recently launched a campaign to save the artifacts. Noam Arnon, who serves as the community's spokesman, has already written to the Israeli authorities in an effort to reverse the decision. In the letter to the Ministry of Culture and Sports he wrote, "There is no disagreement about  making the site accessible but covering the dig is unnecessary and would cause avoidable harm to precious items that have scientific, cultural, archaeological, and tourism values."

Arnon further told Israel Hayom that there is a way to implement an alternative plan to make this place accessible without inflicting harm on the important artifacts. "There is no doubt that covering the dig would be interpreted by many around the world as a deliberate effort to hurt artifacts and findings from the Islamic period and as a means of erasing part of the physical historical-cultural heritage of the land. This could also result in much worse damage carried out by Palestinians against Jewish sites in retaliation." He further added: "This is a colossal mistake, we have put forth an alternative path that is less expensive and solves this problem. We have been told by the authorities that there is a legal problem, so they should solve it. They shouldn't cover everything and sabotage our history."

The Civil Administration said in a statement that "upon completing the investigation, the professional recommendation was to cover the archaeological finds in a way that would preserve them intact and protect them, in a way that would allow for the site to be developed in the future and have it open to the general public. The Civil Administration considered it paramount to preserve archaeological artifacts and religious-historic sites, as it continues to work toward making the Cave of the Patriarchs more accessible."

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A rare assemblage of 530 'astragali' – animal knuckle bones used for gambling and divination – dating to the Hellenistic period some 2,300 years ago was unearthed in Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park of southern Israel.

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This exceptionally large collection, the results of which were first published recently in the British archaeological journal Levant, was discovered by Dr. Ian Stern several years ago in underground caves beneath the ancient city of Maresha.

Dozens of dice bore Greek inscriptions – some were engraved with the names of gods associated in antiquity with human wishes and desires: Aphrodite, the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty; Eros, the god of love; the god Hermes; the goddess Hera; and Nike, the goddess of victory.

On other bones, game instructions and various game roles are engraved, such as "Thief," "Stop," or "You are burned."

"The assemblage shows that in ancient times of distress, as today, people sought help from external factors, in magic and spells, and in the world of the unknown. We have examples of children buried with similar gaming dice. The cubes, which were a popular gaming activity, had a role in accompanying children to the [afterlife]," she aid.

Perry-Gal continued to explain that the "Hellenistic city of Maresha was one of the period's melting pots" in the region.

"Different populations and cultures lived side-by-side here as neighbors, all subordinate to the Hellenistic rule. There lived here Edomites, Phoenicians, Nabateans, and Jews, and the different peoples and cultures influenced each other."

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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