School students discover a 3,000-year-old Egyptian scarab in a surprising location

The students from the local Rabin Middle School never thought that they would get to witness this and were beyond excited. Their discovery was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority on Wednesday 30 November. Gilad Stern, leader of the field trip, was also amazed by the find, according to a press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority:

We were wandering around when I saw something that looked like a small toy on the ground. An inner voice said to me: 'Pick it up and turn it over.' I was astonished: it was a scarab with a clearly incised scene, the dream of every amateur archaeologist. The pupils were really excited!

A sign of power and status

The amulet in the shape of the pill beetle (Scarabaeus sacer) has its origins in ancient Egypt. There, the stone was first used as an impression seal, later as a protective or lucky charm.

The seal depicts the Egyptian pharaoh crowning a local ruler in the land of Canaan. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, this is a typical image of the geopolitical situation of the country at that time.

Mysterious origin of the jewel

This type of seal is clearly Egyptian, but its distribution extends far beyond the borders of Egypt. Hundreds of scarabs have been discovered in modern Israel, mainly in tombs but also in sedimentary layers. Some were imported from Egypt, many are imitations made by local craftsmen.

In this case, it is possibly a former piece of jewellery. Dr Amir Golani, a specialist in the Bronze Age classified it as follows in the Israel Antiquities Authority press release:

It may have dropped from the hands of an important figure of authority who passed through the area, or it may have been deliberately buried in the ground along with other objects – and after thousands of years, it came to the surface. It's difficult to determine the exact original context.

This article was translated from Gentside DE.

Sources used:

-Tagesschau.de: Schulausflug in Israel: 3000 Jahre alter Skarabäus entdeckt

-SPIEGEL: Auf Klassenfahrt: 3000 Jahre alter Skarabäus in Israel entdeckt