Ancient ring found by 13‑year-old reveals Roman life in Israel
During a walk on Mount Carmel in Israel, 13-year-old Yair Whiteson found an ancient ring depicting the goddess of war. Experts date the find to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. This remarkable archaeological discovery sheds light on daily life in Roman times in these areas.
Yair Whiteson, a 13-year-old boy from Haifa, made an extraordinary discovery during a walk with his father on Mount Carmel. The teenager, interested in fossils, noticed a small green object near the ancient quarry below Khirbet Shalala, also known as the Mishmar HaCarmel farm.
The inconspicuous object turned out to be extremely valuable. "The ring was corroded. At first, I thought it was just a rusty screw. At home, I saw that it had some image on it. It looked like a warrior," the teenager recounts in an interview with the media.
An expert from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) confirmed the boy's suspicions. "On this beautiful ring, preserved in its entirety, there is an image of a naked figure. In one hand, it holds a shield, and in the other, a spear," explain Nir Distelfeld and Eitan Klein from the IAA.
The goddess of war on the ancient ring
Experts, including Professor Shua Amorai-Stark, a specialist in ancient rings and amulets, identified the figure on the ring as Minerva, the Roman goddess of war, known in Greek mythology as Athena. Minerva was considered the goddess of war, military strategy, and wisdom. Her popularity during the Roman period in the areas of modern-day Israel was significant.
According to archaeologists, the ring likely belonged to a woman or girl living in the late Roman period (2nd-3rd century AD) on a nearby Roman farm. However, it could also be a burial trace. Regardless of its origin, this find sheds new light on the daily life and beliefs of people living in these areas almost two thousand years ago.
The teenager's discovery will be presented during national archaeological tours organized by the IAA, giving the wider public the opportunity to see this fascinating artifact from the past.
