Israel Strikes Gold Again!

August 13, 2012

The first find of two reported came from a Tel Aviv University [TAU] team working at Tel Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley of northern Israel. The story begins back in 2010 when an unbroken ceramic jug filled with dirt was unearthed and sent in for molecular analysis. It wasn’t until a few months ago that the dirt was washed out. To everyone’s surprise, out came a treasure trove that dates to around 1100 BC.

The magnificent hoard found in Qiryat Gat after a filled-in pit was redug The collection, preserved in a textile wrapping, includes a gold ring, nine pairs of gold earrings, and 1,000 beads of carnelian stone. One gold earring features molded wild goats and ibexes and is said to be “without parallel.” According to researchers, “We work to find parallels to help place the items in their correct cultural and chronological settings, but in this case, we still haven't found anything.” If the gold is found to be pure rather than a mixture of gold and silver, the metal most likely will have come from Egypt, which was poor in silver but rich in gold.

The second find came from the vicinity of Qiryat Gat, 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Tel Aviv. The dig exposed a building from the Roman and Byzantine period. In the courtyard was a pit that had been filled in. Upon redigging the pit, they found a spectacular treasure trove of exquisite quality that had also been wrapped in cloth fabric.

The jewelry from Megiddo, including carmelion beads, were found in a jug full of dirt. According to archaeologist Emil Aladjem, the excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The magnificent hoard includes gold jewelry, among them an earring crafted by a jeweler in the shape of a flower and a ring with a precious stone on which there is a seal of a winged-goddess, two sticks of silver that were probably kohl sticks, as well as some 140 gold and silver coins. The coins date to the reigns of the Roman emperors Nero, Nerva, and Trajan who ruled the Roman Empire from 54–117 CE [AD].”

It is conjectured that the owners of both stashes hid the treasure because of impending danger, left the premises, and never returned to claim it. Little did they know that it would bedazzle inhabitants of the Land so many centuries later!

Source: By Charleeda Sprinkle, Assistant Editor

Photo Credit: IAA/Ashernet and The Megiddo Expedition