Can you imagine the excitement of jogging along the beach and discovering a 900-year-old fully intact cultural artifact? It seems lately every time I turn-around there is a new announcement about a find such as this in Israel. The latest is the news of a rescue ranger for the Nature and Parks Authority, named Meir Amshik, who found an ancient oil lamp Tuesday. According to the Arutz Sheva news outlet, as Amshik was jogging along the coast near Ashkelon he saw several pottery shards in the sand. He picked them up and noticed an area where the cliff had crumbled. To his surprise he spotted the ancient lamp just sitting there unbroken.
According to an archaeologist for the Israel Antiquity Authority, the lamp, which was used for light, “dates to the 12th century…” He further explained that, “Ashkelon was a center of import from overseas, and from there products from the whole southern Israel were exported.”
Mentioned several times in the Old Testament, Ashkelon was one of the five cities of the Philistines (Joshua 13:3 ; 1 Samuel 6:17 ; Judges 1:18 ). It stood on the shore of the Mediterranean, south of Jaffa and north of Gaza. It was the oldest and largest seaport in Canaan and as such was a hub of mercantile activities.
Read the full Arutz Sheva article.
Similar articles
Hiker Finds Rare 2,000-year-old Gold Coin in Northern Israel
Israeli Boy on Hike Discovers Ancient Canaanite Figurine
Look What the Rain Swept In: Families Find 1500-Year-Old Jug During Hike
Two Rare 1,700-year-old Funerary Busts Unearthed Near Beit She’an
