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In the rolling hills near Beit Shemesh, Israel, where the echoes of ancient civilizations still linger, the discovery of a 3,800-year-old scarab amulet has captivated the imaginations of archaeologists, historians — and jewelry lovers alike. That’s because the amazing find didn’t result from the arduous digging of a highly skilled research team but, instead, the curiosity of a 3½-year-old girl named Ziv Nitzan.
In early March, during a family hike near Tel Azekah, a historic site associated with the biblical battle of David and Goliath, Ziv bent down and picked up a seemingly ordinary stone.
Her older sister, Omer, recalled the moment vividly: “Out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular one. When she rubbed the sand off, we realized it was something different.”
That “something” turned out to be a Canaanite scarab amulet — an object steeped in both artistic and symbolic significance.
The family quickly contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which confirmed the object’s age and origins. The scarab, shaped like a sacred dung beetle, is a powerful emblem of rebirth and divine creation in ancient Egyptian culture.
Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor, a renowned expert in ancient amulets and seals, identified the artifact as a Middle Bronze Age scarab.
“Scarabs were found in graves, homes and public buildings,” she explained. “They often bore inscriptions reflecting religious beliefs or status.”
Beyond its spiritual and archaeological value, the scarab represents a deep connection between ancient Egypt and Canaanite cultures — an era when art and adornment served both aesthetic and symbolic roles.
These intricately carved pieces, often worn as pendants or set into rings, were not only fashionable, but meaningful, believed to carry protective powers and messages from the gods.
Ziv’s discovery has earned her a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship from the IAA. More importantly, it has reignited public interest in the intersection of archaeology and adornment.
The amulet will now be part of a special Passover exhibition at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. The showcase will feature Egyptian and Canaanite artifacts, including jewelry, seals, statues and ritual items — many displayed for the first time.
According to Professor Oded Lipschits of Tel Aviv University, whose team has been excavating Tel Azekah for more than a decade, this scarab joins a long list of finds that tell the story of cross-cultural exchange in the ancient world.
“It’s incredible that such a small artifact can reveal so much about the past,” he said. “And that it was found by a child is even more inspiring.”
As Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu put it, “Even children can be part of discovering history.”
Credits: Photos by Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.
