Virtually all young children love running around, playing with rocks, and digging in the dirt. It is a very common occurrence for a child to run up to their parents to show off their latest find, which is usually little more than a shiny rock of some type.

What would you do if your child came to you with what they found, and it ended up being an amulet that was over 3500 years old? That is what happened to this family while they were taking a trip to Tel Azekah, which is located near Beit Shemesh in Israel.

In a statement given to the Israel Antiquities Authority, Omer Nitzan (the older sister of three and a half year old Ziv, who found the amulet), said:

“We were walking along the path, and then Ziv bent down – and out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular stone. When she rubbed it and removed the sand from it, we saw something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realized we had discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority.”

Young Ziv had found a Canaanite scarab seal that was made in the Middle Bronze Age, around 3800 years ago. These seals were used throughout ancient Egypt, and the scarab itself was very symbolic. It was commonly placed on seals, amulets, jewelry, on walls, and in other places.

Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor is an expert in ancient amulets and seals. She commented on this find, saying:

“Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets. They were found in graves, in public buildings and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages, that reflect religious beliefs or status.”

To see the seal that Ziv found, you can visit Israel during Passover this year, as it will be included in a special display at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel. If you can’t make the trip, you can also see the amulet in this brief video published on the Israel Antiquities Authority Official Channel on YouTube:

The location where this amulet was found has been a site of excavation for some time, with a variety of other artifacts being found. Professor Oded Lipschits, the director of the Tel Aviv University Archaeological dig, talked about this site, saying:

We have been excavating here for almost 15 years, and the excavation findings show that during the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze Ages, here in Tel Azekah, thrived one of the most important cities in the Judean Lowlands. The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period.”

It is incredibly lucky that this young child was able to find such a rare and valuable amulet. It had to have been sitting near the surface, which means it could have been damaged or destroyed over the years. How it got to this location is anyone’s guess, but it just goes to show that it is always a good idea to keep your eyes out for something unexpected.

You never know what you will find.

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