Israeli archaeologists have unveiled a gold earring dating back more than 2,200 years and representing the head of a horned animal, the first of its kind discovered in Jerusalem according to them.
Gold earring in the Hellenistic style, dating back 2,200 years and representing the head of a horned animal.
The Hellenistic-style ring was unearthed in October 2017 during excavations at the site called "City of David" and has been the subject of a scholarly paper, but the find had not yet been presented to the public. press until Wednesday, August 8, 2018. "We don't know much about Jerusalem in the Hellenistic period “, in the second and third centuries BC, explained to AFP Professor Yuval Gadot, of Tel Aviv University, co-director of the excavations.
A surprise
The city "has always been considered to be very conservative, not letting in objects from the outside world ", he continued, so finding a Greek style earring "is very surprising t". "This opens a debate about the nature of the population of Jerusalem " at that time, he observed. It is not known whether the earring was worn by a man or a woman, and of what religion, the Israeli archaeological authority said in a statement. But the quality of the jewel and the fact that it was discovered near the Temple Mount, where the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, destroyed by the Romans in 70, stood, suggests that its owner belonged to a privileged class, she adds.
The City of David lies at the foot of the walls of the Old City in Silwan, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, annexed and occupied by Israel. It constitutes a site of intensive and controversial Israeli excavations, given the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians over the sovereignty of East Jerusalem and the importance of the historical stake in such a context. The City of David is managed by the nationalist organization Elad, whose avowed aim is to strengthen the Jewish presence in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. According to her, the archaeological and tourist complex is located on the ancient city built by King David, a claim disputed among archaeologists.