A gold ring dating back more than two thousand years has been discovered by archaeologists in Israel.
Encrusted with a red gemstone, it was found in excavations run by the Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University in the City of David in a national park surrounding the walls of Jerusalem. It’s the second gold ring discovered in less than a year, from the same dig and the same period dating back to the end of the 3rd century or the beginning of the 2nd century BC.
The newly discovered piece of jewellery is believed to have belonged to a boy or girl who lived in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period.
Excavation of the Givati parking lot in the City of David, where the ring was found. Photo by Maor Ganot, City of David
Rebecca Langler, a digger in the City of David who was present at the unveiling of the precious gold band said at first they were sure that it was a modern item that had fallen into one of the digs, “but when I looked at the ring, I immediately understood that it was something ancient.
The gold earring and gold bead discovered in the City of David from the same period. Photo by Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority
“When I held the ring in my hand, I felt part of my history. I felt like I could really touch and connect with the people who lived here in Jerusalem thousands of years ago”.
In the same layer where the rings were discovered, a number of bronze earrings were also recently found, whilst a gold earring decorated with a horned animal and a gold bead were discovered a few years ago – all of them date back to the ancient Hellenistic period.
Dr. Marion Zindel, archaeologist, Israel Antiquities Authority. Photo by Emil Elgam, Israel Antiquities Authority
Dr. Marion Zindel of the Antiquities Authority explained that the discovery of both small rings and the rest of the jewellery underneath the building’s floors “raises the possibility that they were intentionally engraved there.”
She adds that one possibly theory is that “the placing of jewellery in the foundations of the building, happened as part of a well-known custom from the Hellenistic period; in its context engaged women would place in the foundations of a house jewellery and other objects from childhood, as a symbol of the transition from childhood to adulthood.”
The two rings from the Hellenistic period that were discovered in an excavation within one year. Photo by Yiftach Shalev, Israel Antiquities Authority
The combination of the gold with the precious stones “is well known to us from this period, when fashion was influenced by eastern countries such as India and Persia.”
Eli Escuzido, director of the Antiques Authority, said: “The discovery of the gold rings from the Second Temple in the City of David is a tangible testimony to the richness, beauty and importance of Jerusalem thousands of years ago.”
