The youngster was simply walking around the site when she came upon this ancient item, one that has caused much interest.

A three-year-old girl was simply on a family trip to Tel Azeka, an archaeological site located about 30 kilometres from Jerusalem, when she stumbled across a stone that didn’t look anything like the rest that lay still in the trail.

“She bent down and picked it up” after it caught her attention, noted Omer, her brother. “When she rubbed it and removed the sand, we saw that it was something different.

I called my parents to come and see the stone, and we realised that she had discovered something amazing! We immediately notified the Israel Antiquities Authority,” he added.

What the little girl had found turned out to indeed be something quite spectacular.

It was classified by the authorities as an ancient Canaanite amulet that dates back 3,800 years.

Further investigation found it to be a Middle Bronze Age seal, a small ornamental object originating in Egypt, designed in the shape of a dung beetle.

‘One of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands thrived here’

Scarabs were considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians and were also a symbol of new life, as explained by Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor, an expert on ancient relics: “in that period, scarabs were used as seals and amulets. They were found in tombs, public buildings and private homes.

Sometimes they contain symbols and messages reflecting religious beliefs or status.”

“We have been excavating for almost 15 years, and the findings show that during the Middle and Late Bronze Age, one of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands thrived here,” says Professor Oded Lipschits of Tel Aviv University and director of the excavation.

“The scarab found by Ziv adds to a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered in the ancient city, which testify to the close cultural ties and influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period,” he added.

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“Ziv and her family deserve praise for turning the find over to the National Treasures of the State of Israel,” said Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “Thanks to her, everyone will be able to see it and enjoy it. In the special exhibition we are preparing, we will present for the first time impressive pieces such as Pharaonic seals, Egyptian statues, ritual vessels and evidence of Egyptian cultural influence in Israel,” he concludes.

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