A teenager has stumbled across a 3,300-year-old ancient Egyptian treasure while on a school trip in Israel.
Shiloh Attoun, 17, spotted the small artefact lying on the ground while exploring Tel Gezer National Park, just two days after arriving in the country.
The American student initially had no idea what he had found, but experts later identified it as an ancient scarab amulet dating back to the Late Bronze Age.
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The remarkable object is decorated with two cobra snakes and an Egyptian hieroglyph believed to represent the word “Lord”.
Shiloh was visiting the historic site as part of a trip organised by Jewish National Fund-USA’s Muss High School in Israel, as reported by What’s The Jam.
He said he noticed the unusual object while walking up the ancient mound with his classmates and decided to pick it up.
“As we were learning about Tel Gezer’s history and archaeology, I noticed a small, interesting object on the ground. It looked ancient,” Attoun said.
“I picked it up and consulted my guide. I couldn’t believe it was happening to me – a moment ago we were talking about the slim chances of ever discovering such a find, and here was one right in my hand!”
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After realising it could be something significant, he showed it to his guide, Benji Hain, who immediately recognised the potential importance of the discovery.
The pair reported the find to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which sent an archaeologist to collect the artefact for the country’s national antiquities collection.
Shiloh was subsequently presented with a certificate of appreciation for his responsible handling of the discovery.
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Professor Ido Koch, of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, examined the object and dated it to the Late Bronze Age.
He explained that the two cobras depicted on the scarab were known as uraeus, a symbol associated with protection and royal power in ancient Egypt and the southern Levant.
The semi-circular design beneath them represents the Egyptian hieroglyphic sign “nb”, meaning “lord”.
Scarab amulets were particularly significant in ancient Egyptian culture, with the beetle regarded as a symbol of creation, renewal and new life.
The insects were associated with rebirth because they roll balls of dung containing their eggs, from which new beetles eventually emerge.
The objects were also sometimes used as personal seals.
Tel Gezer was once one of the most important Canaanite cities in the area, controlling a strategically important crossroads in the Judean Lowlands.
A similar scarab featuring three snakes was previously discovered during archaeological excavations at Tel Megiddo in northern Israel.
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