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ISRAEL-ARCHAEOLOGY-HELLENISTIC
Ancient Greek earring found at east Jerusalem site
JERUSALEM, Aug 8, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Israel on Wednesday unveiled a golden
earring dating from the second or third century BC, found in the shadow of
the Old City walls in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said the artifact, in the
Hellenistic style and shaped like a horned animal, was found in October in
the City of David National Park, between the Old City and the flashpoint
Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan.
The find was not announced publicly until now to give archeologists time
to study the find and publish an academic paper.
“It is unclear whether the gold earring was worn by a man or a woman, nor
do we know their cultural or religious identity, but we can say for certain
that whoever wore this earring definitely belonged to Jerusalem’s upper
class,” an IAA statement said, citing “the quality of the gold piece of
jewelry”.
Following the conquest of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC,
Jerusalem remained under Hellenist rule for the next 200 years.
“We do not know much about Jerusalem in the Hellenistic period,” Yuval
Gadot of Tel Aviv University and co-director of the excavations told AFP.
“This opens a debate about the nature of Jerusalem’s population” at the
time, he said.
The City of David is run as an archaeological park by hardline settler
organisation Elad which seeks to bolster the Jewish presence in mainly
Palestinian east Jerusalem.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1812 hrs