18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

2,200-year-old Greek sling bullet may have been used against Jews

A 2,200-year-old lead sling bullet was discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the central Israeli city of Yavne, bearing a “Victory for Heracles and Hauron” inscription and which possibly belonged to a Greek soldier.

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Thursday that the sling bullet that bullet was discovered about a year ago and has been under examination since then.

The weapon, designed to guarantee victory in battle, may have belonged to a Greek soldier fighting in the Hellenistic Period’s conflict with the Hasmoneans. The Hasmonean dynasty was a ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during classical antiquity from c. 140 BCE to 37 BCE.

The Israel Antiquities Authority, which revealed the finding, told The Times of Israel that the sling bullet found in Yavne’s major archaeological site is 4.4 centimeters (1.7 inches) long and around 2,200 years old.

The archaeological site in Yavne, with the city in the background, in an undated photo released. Photo: Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority
The archaeological site in Yavne, with the city in the background, in an undated photo released. Photo: Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority

On the bullet is the Greek inscription  “Victory of Heracles and Hauronas” – a pair of gods that were considered to be the “divine patrons of Yavne during the Hellenistic period,” explained Professor Yulia Ustinova from the Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

Hercules, the son of Zeus (Roman Jupiter) and the mortal Alcmena, is a Greek divine hero known for his strength and numerous far-reaching adventures. Hauronas, also known as Hauron, was an ancient Egyptian god who was worshiped in Giza.

“Actually, the inscription on a sling bullet is the first archaeological evidence of the two guardians of Yavne, discovered inside Yavne itself. Until today, the pair was only known from an inscription on the Greek island of Delos,” the professor added.

“The inscriptions convey a message of unifying the warriors with the aim of raising their spirits, scaring the enemy, or a call intended to magically energize the sling bullet itself,” noted Ustinova, who deciphered the inscription. “They were part of psychological warfare, the main purpose of which was to terrorize the opponent, and in addition, to unite the warriors and raise their spirits.”

Photo: Dafna Gazit/Israel Antiquities Authority

However, the researchers acknowledged that it was unclear in what context the slingshot was used and that there was no conclusive evidence that it even belonged to a Greek soldier.

“It seems that we will not be able to know for sure if the sling bullet belonged to a Greek soldier, but it is not impossible that it is related to the conflict between the Greeks and the Hasmoneans,” said Pablo Betzer and Dr. Daniel Varga, who directed the excavation on behalf of the IAA, in the statement.

“The tiny lead sling bullets, announcing the imminent victory of the gods of pagan Yavne, is tangible evidence of a fierce battle that took place in Yavne at that time,” they added.

The story of the bullet will be presented to the public next Tuesday in a free event at the ‘Yavne and its Secrets’ lecture next week in Yavne.

Cover Photo: The word “Victory” on the sling bullet. Dafna Gazit, Israel Antiquities Authority

Related Articles

Ancient rubbish dump under Hatshepsut temple reveals hundreds of artifacts

24 November 2021

24 November 2021

Polish archaeologists uncovered a 3,500-year-old dump while working on the reconstruction of the Hathor Goddess Chapel, which is part of...

Tajik Buddha in Nirvana – the Largest in the World: 42 feet long and 9 feet high

31 December 2023

31 December 2023

In the past, while Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan destroyed two immense statues of Buddha, art historians in neighboring Tajikistan meticulously...

Serbian Archaeologists Unearth Roman Triumphal Arch Dedicated to Emperor Caracalla

24 January 2024

24 January 2024

Archaeologists in Serbia have unearthed an ancient Roman triumphal arch dating back to the third century at Viminacium, a Roman...

4th Century BC Greek Shipwreck Discovered Near Croatian Island of Vis – One of the Adriatic’s Oldest

10 July 2025

10 July 2025

A significant archaeological find has been confirmed off the coast of Komiža, near the Croatian island of Vis, where researchers...

Neo-Assyrian underground complex discovered under a house in southeastern Turkey

11 May 2022

11 May 2022

An underground Iron Age complex has been found in Turkey that may have been used by a fertility cult during...

Saxon ‘London’ was Bigger Than Previously Believed

23 February 2024

23 February 2024

Archaeologists digging at the northern end of Trafalgar Square found evidence that Saxon London’s center was bigger and extended further...

A 1600-year-old writing set was unearthed in the city of Bathonea, which has the oldest ancient port in Istanbul

21 August 2022

21 August 2022

During the Istanbul Bathonea excavations, a 1600-year-old writing set containing a miniature vessel, a bone writing pen, and an inkwell,...

Astonishing discovery in Kazakhstan: Bronze Age girl buried with more than 150 animal ankle bones

7 September 2023

7 September 2023

Archaeologists in eastern Kazakhstan have unearthed a Bronze Age burial mound of a girl surrounded by various grave goods in...

Evidence found of Goose domestication in Neolithic China 7,000 years ago

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

Geese may have been domesticated in what is now China as early as 7,000 years ago, according to a study...

Volunteer archaeologists discovered a 1900-year-old silver military decoration in Vindolanda

17 June 2023

17 June 2023

Volunteer archaeologists have discovered a 1900-year-old military decoration (Phalera) that was awarded to distinguished soldiers and troops in the Roman...

Gaza bulldozers unearth Roman-era a burial site

1 February 2022

1 February 2022

Bulldozers digging for an Egyptian-funded housing project in the Gaza Strip have unearthed the ruins of a tomb dating back...

Archaeologists found three large shipwrecks, 139 Viking Graves, and a ship-shaped mound in Sweden

21 October 2024

21 October 2024

Exciting discoveries in Sweden! Archaeologists were preparing to investigate a Stone Age settlement outside Varberg. But they came across a...

Aspendos Excavation Reveals Rare 1,700-Year-Old Roman Emperor’s Statue Head

9 August 2025

9 August 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable marble head believed to depict a Roman emperor during excavations in the ancient city of...

Excavations in Haldensleben, Germany Reveal A Lost Settlement

9 November 2024

9 November 2024

Excavations at Haldensleben in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt provide important information about a lost settlement. Since May 2024, the...

A ‘very rare’ clay figurine of god Mercury and a previously unknown Roman settlement were discovered at the excavation site in Kent

23 February 2024

23 February 2024

At a previously unknown Roman settlement that was formerly next to a busy port but is now 10 miles from...