Israeli girl uncovers 3,800-year-old amulet at archaeological site VIDEO

A remarkable discovery was made at the Tel Azeka archaeological site near Bet Shemesh, where a three-year-old Israeli girl uncovered a scarab-shaped Canaanite amulet believed to be around 3,800 years old. 

Ziv Nitzan, from Moshav Ramot Meir, was hiking with her family near the base of the hill where the ancient site is located when she stumbled upon what appeared to be a small stone, according to Israeli media.

“We were walking along the path, and then Ziv bent down – and out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular stone,” said Ziv’s sister, Omer Nitzan, in a statement from the IAA. “When she rubbed it and removed the sand from it, we saw something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realized we had discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority.”

The scarab is linked to ancient Egypt, where beetles were revered as symbols of renewal. Egyptians believed these beetles brought new life, as they rolled dung into balls to lay their eggs, symbolizing life emerging from decay.

Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor, an expert in ancient artifacts, identified the amulet as being culturally connected to the Canaanites, an ancient civilization mentioned in the Bible and historical records. The Canaanites lived in the Levant and were governed by city-state kings.

Tel Azeka is notably known as the site of the biblical battle between David and Goliath. The excavation has been ongoing for 15 years under researchers from Tel Aviv University.

The scarab will be featured in a special Passover exhibit at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem, alongside other Egyptian and Canaanite finds.

To recognize Ziv’s discovery, the IAA presented her and her family with a certificate of appreciation.

By Naila Huseynova