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3-Year-Old Toddler Picks Up ‘Pretty Stone’ – Turns Out to Be 3,800-Year-Old Egyptian Treasure!
In a heartwarming and extraordinary discovery that’s captivating people worldwide on social media, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl named Ziv Nitzan stumbled upon a genuine archaeological treasure during a casual family hike in central Israel. While walking along a dusty trail at the ancient tel (mound) of Tel Azekah—near Beit Shemesh and about 25 miles west of Jerusalem—the toddler spotted what she called a “beautiful stone” half-buried among countless ordinary pebbles and rocks.Excited by its unusual appearance, Ziv picked it up, brushed off the sand, and showed it to her older siblings. They quickly realized it wasn’t just any rock and alerted their parents.
The family, from the nearby community of Ramot Meir, promptly contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), the official body responsible for preserving and studying Israel’s cultural heritage.Experts, including Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor—a leading specialist in ancient amulets and seals—carefully examined the small object and confirmed it as an authentic Canaanite scarab seal dating back approximately 3,800 years to the Middle Bronze Age (around 1800 BCE). Though influenced by Egyptian craftsmanship, the scarab reflects local Canaanite styles and usage during a period of intense cultural exchange between Egypt and the Levant.The artifact is carved in the classic scarab beetle shape, a form sacred in ancient Egyptian belief as a symbol of the sun god Ra, rebirth, and eternal renewal. Scarabs like this were commonly worn as protective amulets, used as personal jewelry, or impressed into clay to seal documents, letters, or goods—much like modern signatures or stamps. What makes this particular example especially intriguing is its underside engraving: a delicate depiction of a gazelle nursing her fawn, an evocative motif symbolizing maternal care, fertility, protection, and nurturing life in ancient Near Eastern iconography.Tel Azekah itself adds layers of historical drama to the find.
This prominent hilltop site, built up over millennia from successive settlements, features prominently in the biblical account of the famous duel between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1), where the Philistine camp was positioned between Socoh and Azekah. Ongoing excavations at the tel—led by teams including Prof. Oded Lipschits—have uncovered evidence of thriving communities across the Bronze and Iron Ages, including strong Egyptian influences through trade, diplomacy, and possibly military presence. The scarab provides tangible proof of those ancient connections, illustrating how objects from the Nile Valley traveled far inland to Canaanite cities nearly four thousand years ago.The Israel Antiquities Authority praised the Nitzan family’s responsible actions in reporting the discovery immediately, emphasizing that such finds belong to the public heritage of Israel and must be properly documented. In recognition of their honesty, the IAA presented them with a certificate of appreciation
. The tiny scarab—small enough to fit in a child’s palm—has been cleaned, studied, and is slated for public display in a special upcoming exhibition at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem, where it will appear alongside other Egyptian and Canaanite artifacts.This “once-in-a-lifetime” moment, as archaeologists describe it, has reignited public fascination with how history can hide in plain sight. Amid thousands of similar-looking stones on a popular hiking path, it took the innocent curiosity of a toddler to uncover a priceless window into the distant past. Stories like Ziv’s remind everyone—from casual visitors to seasoned researchers—that the secrets of ancient civilizations are still out there, waiting patiently beneath the surface for the next lucky (or perceptive) passerby to notice them.
