Gold ring from the Hellenistic period found in Jerusalem
During excavations in the City of David, in Jerusalem’s Walls National Park, archaeologists found a small gold ring with a red gemstone.
The piece is around 2,300 years old and, according to the researchers, probably belonged to a child who lived during the Second Temple period.
The discovery was made by a team from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University, with support from the Elad Association. It is the second gold ring found in less than a year in the same excavation and dates from the same early Hellenistic period.
An unexpected and exciting discovery
Rivka Lengler, an excavator at the City of David, was present at the time of the find and described the scene with excitement:
“We were sifting the earth near the excavation area when suddenly Ben, who works with me, pulled a gold ring out of the earth. At first, he thought it was something modern, left by one of the diggers. But when I examined the ring, I immediately realized that it was something ancient. We called the archaeologists, everyone gathered around us and marveled at the special find; it was very exciting.”
She also recounts the personal impact of holding the object:
“Already at first glance, you could see its great resemblance to the ring discovered in our excavation a few months ago, only this one was even smaller. When I held this ring in my hand, I felt like it was 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.”
Buried jewelry: symbol of childhood transition
Those responsible for the excavation – Dr. Yiftah Shalev and Dr. Marion Zindel (Antiquities Authority), Efrat Bocher (Ancient Jerusalem Research Center) and Prof. Yuval Gadot (Tel Aviv University) – explain the context in which the ring was found:
“The two gold rings were found in a layer dating from the late 3rd or early 2nd century BC, in the foundations of a large building that evidences the wealth of its occupants.”
In the same layer, bronze earrings, a gold earring with the image of a horned animal and an ornate bead were found, all characteristic of the early Hellenistic period.
Dr. Marion Zindel, responsible for the analysis of the ring, proposes a hypothesis about the purpose of the burial:
“The fact that the two small rings and the rest of the jewelry were discovered under the floor of the building raises the possibility that they were buried there intentionally. One of the hypotheses we are investigating is that these jewels found in the foundations of the building were related to a custom known from the Hellenistic period, in which women promised in marriage buried jewels and other objects from their childhood in the foundations of the house as a symbol of the transition from childhood to adulthood.”
According to the researchers, the combination of gold with stones such as garnet was popular in the period, reflecting cultural influences from the East:
“Jewelry combining gold with brightly colored gemstones, such as garnet, was well known in this period, when fashion was influenced by Eastern countries such as India and Persia. These influences arrived thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great and the opening of trade channels with these regions.”
Efrat Bocher, the excavation’s archaeologist, highlights the importance of the find:
“It’s the first time we’ve found such a large assemblage of gold jewelry from this period in Jerusalem. This display of wealth is very rare in any archaeological layer and attests to the wealth of Jerusalem and the high standard of living of its inhabitants at that time.”
Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, emphasizes the historical value of the discovery:
“The discovery of the gold rings from the time of the Second Temple in the City of David is tangible evidence of the wealth, beauty and importance of Jerusalem even thousands of years ago. The Israel Antiquities Authority is proud to lead the archaeological research of Jerusalem and to make the legacy of the ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ accessible to the public – not just as words in a song, but as historical facts discovered right under our feet.”
Source: Israel Antiquities Authority
