Fragment of Glass Bracelet Unearthed

March 24, 2015

A 1,600-year-old bracelet fragment, engraved with a seven-branch menorah from the Temple in Jerusalem was discovered during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the Mount Carmel National Park. Workers uncovered an industrial area and refuse pits of a large settlement dating from the Roman era and the early Byzantine period, at the end of the fourth century.

Yael Gorin-Rosen, manager of the glass department at the IAA, said “glass bracelets and amulets decorated with a menorah or lion, or symbols of gods and animals, and originating from this era, have been found in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Until now, three bracelet fragments with menorah symbols have been found in Israel. Such artifacts were mostly found near burial sites. It’s rare to find them in a settlement site, and especially in an ancient refuse pit.”

Source: Excerpt of article by Edgar Asher, Ashernet

Photo Credit: Ashernet/IAA