Teenager Discovers 3,300-Year-Old Scarab Amulet in Israel
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
High school student Shiloh Atoun discovered a 3,300-year-old scarab amulet with cobra decorations during an educational tour at Tel Gezer National Park. The artifact, found on his first trip to Israel, indicates ancient Egyptian influence. Professor Ido Koch dated the find to the Late Bronze Age, and the Israel Antiquities Authority presented Atoun with a certificate of appreciation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Shiloh Atoun, 17, discovered a 3,300-year-old scarab amulet during a tour in Israel.
- The amulet, found at Tel Gezer National Park, features cobra decorations.
- The find indicates ancient Egyptian cultural influence in the region.
- Professor Ido Koch dated the artifact to the Late Bronze Age.
- Atoun received a certificate of appreciation from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Seventeen-year-old Shiloh Atoun, a student with Jewish National Fund-USA's High School in Israel program, discovered a rare 3,300-year-old scarab amulet during an educational tour at Tel Gezer National Park. The amulet, featuring cobra decorations, was found by Atoun on his first trip to Israel. He reported the find to the Israel Antiquities Authority with his guide, Benji Haim.
Adam Aspar, an inspector with the IAA's central region, met the group at their school, collected the artifact for state preservation, and presented Atoun with a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship. Scarab amulets, sometimes used as seals, indicate ancient Egyptian cultural influence in the region around 3,500 years ago. The ancient city of Gezer was a significant Canaanite city controlling a strategic crossroads in the Shephelah region.
Professor Ido Koch from Tel Aviv University's archaeology department dated the seal to the Late Bronze Age. He noted the amulet depicts two cobras above a half-ellipse, representing protective symbols and the Egyptian hieroglyph for "lord." A similar scarab with three snakes was previously found at Tel Megiddo.
"Shiloh's story is a wonderful example of the connection created between young people who come to study in Israel and the country's history and archaeology through hands-on experience," said Amit Melman, Director of the Educational Center for the Central Region at the IAA. "Shiloh and the program's guides are commendable for their responsibility in handing over the find to the state. Thanks to them, this special artifact is preserved, and we can all learn from it."
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