Archaeologists discover 2,300-yr-old gold ring in Jerusalem

TEL AVIV — Archaeologists in Jerusalem have discovered a 2,300-year-old gold ring believed to have belonged to a child living in the city’s Hellenistic period. 

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said in a statement that the ring, set with a red gem, was “exceedingly well-preserved” with no signs of rust or weathering.

It was unearthed recently at the City of David archaeological site by Tehiya Gangate, a member of the excavation team.

“I was sifting earth through the screen and suddenly saw something glitter,” Gangate said.

“This is an emotionally moving find, not the kind you find every day,” she added.

Researchers believe the ring probably belonged to a child due to its small size.

It was “manufactured by hammering thin pre-cut gold leaves onto a metal ring base,” the IAA statement said.

The ring was dated to around 300 BC.

The statement said it “reflects the common fashion of the Persian and Early Hellenistic periods, dating from the late 4th to the early 3rd century BC,” when “people began to prefer gold with set stones rather than decorated gold”.

At the time, the region was under the dominion of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Empire.

Alexander’s conquests “helped spread and transport luxury goods and products,” the statement said.

The latest finding reveals that Jerusalem’s residents “were open to the widespread Hellenistic style and influences,” the researchers said.