In an incredible stroke of luck (or is it really precocious skill?), a three-year-old amateur archaeologist has made history in Israel by discovering a rare artifact that dates back nearly 3,800 years. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Tuesday that the young explorer, Ziv Nitzan, uncovered a scarab-shaped Canaanite amulet at Tel Azeka, a site near Bet Shemesh, 19 miles (30 kilometers) west of Jerusalem.
The inquisitive young Ziv, a resident of Moshav Ramot Meir, was out on a family hike with her parents and two older sisters when she made the remarkable find. As they walked near the base of the hill where the archaeological site is located, Ziv instinctively picked up what looked like a small stone from among the countless others scattered on the ground.
“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,” her sister, Omer Nitzan, recalled in a statement released by 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.”
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The Remarkable History of Scarab Amulets
Scarabs, small amulets shaped like dung beetles, trace their origins to ancient Egypt. These insects were revered by the Egyptians as sacred symbols of renewal and regeneration. The belief stemmed from their observation that beetles laid their eggs inside dung balls, seemingly bringing new life from decay.
The back of the amulet, shaped like a scarab beetle. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority).
Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor, a leading expert in the field, explained the significance of these objects.
“Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets. They were found in graves, in public buildings, and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages that reflect religious beliefs or status,” she said.
After examining the artifact, Dr. Ben-Tor determined that it was associated with the Canaanites, an ancient people known from both the Bible and historical records. The Canaanites lived throughout the Levant, were largely ruled by city-state kings, and had strong cultural and economic ties with ancient Egypt.
The site where the amulet was found, Tel Azeka, has great historical significance. It is mentioned in the Bible as the location of the legendary battle between David and the Philistine giant, Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1). The site has been under excavation for 15 years by researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU), and numerous artifacts have been uncovered that offer information about what life was like in the region thousands of years ago, during the legendary biblical times.
Ziv Nitzan holding the scarab amulet she found in her hand. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority).
Professor Oded Lipschits, director of the Tel Azeka excavation, explained the importance of the settlement during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages (2000-1000 BCE).
“The excavation findings show that during this period, Tel Azeka was one of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands,” he said. “The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period.”
Who Were the Canaanites, and What Really Happened to Them?
The Canaanites were a diverse group of Semitic-speaking peoples who lived in what is now Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria through at least the late second millennium BC. Their civilization was characterized by a mix of settled urban populations and nomadic pastoral groups, with the term ‘Canaanite’ being used rather loosely in the Bible to represent non-Israelites living in the area.
According to biblical accounts, the Israelites were instructed by God to destroy the Canaanites completely, as recorded in the book of Deuteronomy:
“You shall not leave alive anything that breathes,” God is quoted as saying. “But you shall utterly destroy them ... so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods.”
Aerial view of the Tel Azeka site, where Canaanite artifacts have been found. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquties Authority).
In fact, the currently available archaeological evidence does not show that such a thing happened. Many Canaanite cities, including Sidon and Tyre on the Levantine coast, continued to be inhabited for centuries, covering the times when the Canaanites were supposedly all murdered, as the region transitioned from the Bronze to the Iron Age with no evidence of widespread violence. Furthermore, DNA studies show that over 95% of the ancestry of modern Lebanese people comes fom the Canaanites, which wouldn’t be expected if the Canaanite presence in the region had been terminated by a genocide.
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Highlighting a Rich and Diverse Historical Period
The scarab amulet discovered by young Ziv will soon be displayed in a special Passover exhibit organized by the IAA at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. It will be showcased alongside other artifacts from ancient Egypt and Canaan, providing visitors with a glimpse into the rich cultural interactions between these ancient civilizations.
“In our public tours, we will present impressive items for the first time, including seals of the pharaohs, Egyptian statues, ritual vessels, and evidence of the Egyptian cultural influence in the Land of Israel,” said IAA Director Eli Escusido.
Ziv Nitzan and her sisters with the certificate of appreciation. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority).
As a token of appreciation for her remarkable discovery, the IAA presented Ziv and her family with a certificate recognizing her contribution to Israeli archaeology. While she may be one of the youngest amateur archaeologists to make such an important find, Ziv Nitzan’s discovery highlights how history can be uncovered in the most unexpected ways, and sometimes by the smallest of hands.
Top image: The scarab amulet or seal found by Ziv Nitzan at Tel Azeka, Israel.
Source: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority.
By Nathan Falde
