2,300-year-old gold ring discovered under Jerusalem building

A 2,300-year-old ring has been discovered in Jerusalem’s ancient City of David, in the second such find at the same site within the last year, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday.

The small size of the ring, gold and set with a red gemstone, indicates that it belonged to a youngster living in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period more than two millennia ago, the state-run archaeological body said.

The member of the excavation team who found the ring initially thought it was a modern piece of jewelry that had been dropped by someone working on the dig.

Both rings were unearthed in the foundations of a large building that pointed to the wealth of its occupants.

“When I held this ring in my hand, I felt part of my history,” said Rivka Lengler, a City of David excavator present when the ring was uncovered. “I felt that I could actually touch and connect with the people who lived here in Jerusalem thousands of years ago.”

The ring was the latest in a string of jewelry pieces from the early Hellenistic period discovered at the site just outside the walls of the Old City. The researchers believe that the jewelry was likely buried at the time, as part of a well-known practice symbolizing the transition from childhood to adulthood.

“This is the first time that we have found in Jerusalem such a large assemblage of gold jewelry from that period,” said Efrat Bocher, one of the excavation managers. “This displayed wealth is very rare in any archaeological layer, and it attests to the wealth of Jerusalem and the high standard of living of the city’s residents during this period.”

According to the researchers, jewelry that combined gold with brightly colored precious stones was common to this period, when fashion was influenced by Eastern countries such as India and Persia, and trade in the region that resulted from the conquests of Alexander the Great.

“The discovery of the golden rings from the time of the Second Temple in the City of David is tangible evidence of the wealth, beauty and importance of Jerusalem, even thousands of years ago,” said IAI director Eli Escusido.