A teenager hiking in northern Israel made an unexpected discovery while exploring the area with his father. Yair Whiteson, a 13-year-old, found a small green object on the ground near an ancient quarry on Mount Carmel. Initially mistaking it for a rusty bolt, Yair realized it was actually a ring. Upon closer inspection, he noticed an engraved image of a warrior, later identified as the Roman goddess Minerva.
The ring, dating back 1,800 years, is believed to be made of bronze and depicts Minerva, the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena. Minerva was a prominent figure in the region during the Roman period, revered as the goddess of war, military strategy, and wisdom.
Yair’s family contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who confirmed the ring’s historical significance and transferred it to the National Treasures Department for further examination. Researchers believe the ring belonged to a woman or girl during the Late period (second to third centuries A.D.).
The discovery site, known as Khirbet Shalala, is an archaeological site containing the remains of a Roman-period farmstead. The presence of two burial caves near the quarry raises the possibility that the ring could have belonged to a woman who lived on the farm, or it might have been lost by a quarry worker or even a burial offering.
The ring, a remarkable artifact from the Roman period, will be showcased at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Its discovery provides valuable insights into the lives and beliefs of people who inhabited the region during that time.
