4 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

2,300-Year-Old Gold Ring Reveals Jerusalem’s Hidden Hellenistic Rituals

A remarkable gold ring recently uncovered in Jerusalem is offering fresh insight into Hellenistic-era rituals, ancient jewelry traditions, and the cultural fusion that defined the city during antiquity. Discovered as part of an ongoing excavation near the Temple Mount, the artifact sheds new light on life in Hellenistic Jerusalem, a period often overlooked in the city’s archaeological record.

A 2,300-year-old gold ring set with a polished red garnet gemstone has been unearthed beneath the floor of an ancient public building, according to a joint announcement by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and Tel Aviv University. The find took place at the Givati Parking Lot excavation site, situated within the Jerusalem Walls National Park near the historic Temple Mount.

This is the second ring of its kind found in the same location within a year, raising significant questions about its origin and purpose. Experts suggest that the jewelry may have been intentionally placed beneath the building’s foundation as part of a ritual, rather than lost accidentally.

“The ring is highly characteristic of Hellenistic-era fashion,” said Dr. Marion Zindel of the IAA. “The combination of gold with vibrant gemstones like garnet reflects cultural influences introduced by Alexander the Great’s conquests, especially from Persia and India. These styles defined luxury and identity for centuries.”

The ring was discovered during excavations at the Givati Parking Lot site, part of the City of David archaeological complex. Credit: Maor Ganot, City of David
The ring was discovered during excavations at the Givati Parking Lot site, part of the City of David archaeological complex. Credit: Maor Ganot, City of David

In addition to the gold ring, archaeologists uncovered several bronze earrings, a gold bead, and an intricately designed gold earring featuring a horned animal motif. All were found in the same stratigraphic layer, suggesting a deliberate, culturally significant deposition. Researchers are currently exploring the theory that these items were buried as part of a symbolic transition ritual for young women.

“One prevailing hypothesis is that the jewelry belonged to a girl on the brink of marriage,” explained Zindel. “In Hellenistic tradition, girls sometimes buried childhood possessions beneath new homes as part of pre-wedding rites.”

Similar practices were documented at other archaeological sites such as Tel Kedesh in northern Israel, where a cache linked to a young girl included a terracotta figurine of Eros, gaming pieces, and writing tools.

Efrat Bocher, an excavation supervisor, emphasized the rarity of the discovery. “This is the first time we’ve found such an extensive collection of gold jewelry from the Hellenistic period in Jerusalem. It’s a vivid testament to the city’s affluence and cultural fusion during that era.”

A gold earring and a decorative gold bead from the same Hellenistic period, uncovered in the City of David. Credit: Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority
A gold earring and a decorative gold bead from the same Hellenistic period, uncovered in the City of David. Credit: Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority

Despite the quality and quantity of artifacts, archaeologists remain uncertain about the identity of the building’s inhabitants. Were they wealthy Judaeans, Greek officials, or individuals straddling both cultures?

Seal impressions found nearby—one potentially depicting the Greek goddess Athena—add to the mystery. “Such imagery would be unusual for observant Jews, given religious restrictions on graven images,” noted Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University. “This opens the door to questions about the cultural and religious identity of the residents.”

2,300-year-old gold rings found at the Givati Parking Lot, outside Jerusalem’s Old City in 2024 and 2025. Credit: Yiftah Shalev, Israel Antiquities Authority
2,300-year-old gold rings found at the Givati Parking Lot, outside Jerusalem’s Old City in 2024 and 2025. Credit: Yiftah Shalev, Israel Antiquities Authority

Gadot added that further study of the site’s architecture, imported artifacts, and animal bones may provide more clues. “While the Hellenistic period is historically well documented, archaeological evidence from Jerusalem remains limited. These discoveries are beginning to fill critical gaps in our understanding.”

As research continues, the ancient jewelry uncovered beneath Jerusalem’s stones serves not only as a symbol of personal history but also as a bridge to a complex past of cross-cultural exchange, wealth, and ritual.

Israel Antiquities Authority

Cover Image Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

Related Articles

Washi papers discovered inside a 675-year-old Buddhist statue in Japan

3 February 2024

3 February 2024

The carved head of an ancient Buddhist statue hidden in the Myooin temple in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan, has revealed pages...

Dingoes were regarded as “almost human” in pre-colonial Australia

21 October 2023

21 October 2023

When it comes to Australia’s wild dingoes, the phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” takes on new meaning....

Scientists Find Aztec ‘Death Whistles’ do Weird Things to the Listeners’ Brains

18 November 2024

18 November 2024

New research reveals that one of the Aztecs’ most chilling artefacts, clay death whistles, which resemble a human skull and...

Ancient Elegance Revealed: Exquisite Jewelry and Amulets from the 26th Dynasty Discovered at Karnak

4 March 2025

4 March 2025

In a remarkable revelation that sheds light on ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, alongside the...

2000-year-old passage found after Latrina at Smyrna Theater

28 January 2022

28 January 2022

Archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year-old passage that was 26 meters long and constructed in an “L” form in the theater part...

Hima, a rock art site in Saudi Arabia, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List

24 July 2021

24 July 2021

The rock art site Hima in Najran has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the sixth registered...

Türkiye’s Neolithic Settlement Çayönü Hill Discovered New Tombs from Early Bronze Age

4 September 2023

4 September 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed 5 more tombs dating to the Early Bronze Age during the recent excavations on Çayönü Hill in...

The ancient city of Kastabala will soon have a colonnaded Street

4 September 2021

4 September 2021

The archaeological excavation of the ancient city of Kastabala in Osmaniye Province in southern Turkey continues. Kastabala-Hierapolis is one of...

In western Turkey, inscriptions and 2,500-year-old sculptures were found

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Two 2,500-year-old marble statues and an inscription have been found during excavations at the ancient city of Euromos, in Turkey’s...

Medieval subterranean corridors found by accident in northeast Iran

1 October 2022

1 October 2022

The workers working on a routine road construction project near Shahr-e Belqeys (City of Belqeys) in northeast Iran made an...

A section of one of Britain’s most important Roman roads unearthed under Old Kent Road in south-east London

15 November 2024

15 November 2024

Archaeologists have found a section of a Roman road under Old Kent Road in south-east London, part of one of...

Tang-e Chogan bas-relief carvings, Majestic treasures of Sassanid art, are under threat of destruction 

9 March 2022

9 March 2022

Treasures of Sassanid art, some of Tang-e Chogan’s bas-reliefs are under threat of complete destruction due to lack of maintenance...

3,000-Year-Old Iron Age Statuette Discovered in Italian Lake, With Fingerprints of Maker

17 August 2024

17 August 2024

During work in Lake Bolsena, a volcanic lake in central Italy, at the submerged archaeological site of Gran Carro, a ...

The ability to produce ceramic vessels came to Europe via Siberia and the Caspian Sea region

6 January 2023

6 January 2023

A new study suggests that the knowledge for making ceramic vessels came to Europe from the Middle East and the...

The three-headed statue of Goddess Hecate discovered in Turkey’s Mersin

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

In the ancient city of Kelenderis in Mersin, located in the south of Turkey, the statue of the 3-headed goddess...