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Tiny Gold Rings Beneath Jerusalem Floors Hint at a 2,200-Year-Old Ritual
A tiny gold ring set with a deep-red stone may reveal an unexpectedly personal side of life in Hellenistic Jerusalem more than 2,200 years ago. Archaeologists discovered the ring beneath the floor of a large residential building at the Givati Parking Lot excavation in the City of David. Measuring just 1.2 centimeters in diameter, the…
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The Steiermark Coat of Arms and Other Centuries-Old Inscriptions Discovered in Jerusalem’s Room of the Last Supper
An international research team, including the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), has successfully deciphered centuries-old inscriptions in the room of the Last Supper in Jerusalem using digital photography. The findings, which include the coat of arms of the Steiermark family, shed new light on the diverse pilgrimages of the Middle Ages. One of Jerusalem‘s most…
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“Ringed Nun” Discovered Near Jerusalem: Shedding Light on Byzantine-Era Extreme Asceticism
In an ancient Byzantine monastery just outside Jerusalem, the remains of a woman buried with 30 iron rings attached to her body have been found. This striking discovery provides the first archaeological evidence of extreme asceticism among female monks, a phenomenon previously known only from historical texts. Innovative technology used by researchers from the Israel…
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The Gender of the Buried Ascetic Monk in Chains Near Jerusalem Surprised Researchers
A recent archaeological find near Jerusalem has prompted a reevaluation of long-held beliefs regarding ascetic practices during the Byzantine period. The discovery of a woman’s remains in a grave typically associated with male ascetics raises important questions about the roles of women in the extreme religious traditions of the 5th century AD. Initially believed to…
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9000-Year-Old Shaman Woman’s Grave Discovered in the Motza Archaeological Site of Jerusalem
Archaeologists have uncovered an important grave from the Neolithic period during excavations at the Motza archaeological site, located in the highlands of Jerusalem. It was determined that the woman found in this grave had six fingers on her left hand. This finding provides strong evidence that she was a significant figure involved in the shamanic…