Abigale Racine
Imagine finding an ancient relic while out on a family hike. Well, that’s exactly what happened to the Ben-David family while they were recently trekking near Israel’s Besor River.
11 year-old Zvi Ben-David spotted something unusual while on the trail. Mom Miriam Ben-David is a professional tour guide and immediately got excited about her son’s find, knowing that it had historical significance. Ben-David then altered the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) of the find.
It turns out that the small object that the young boy discovered is a 2,500 old fertility relic. As reported by The Good News Network, the well-worn statuette of the bare-breasted woman measures just 2.75 inches tall and 2.36 inches wide (7 centimeters by 6 centimeters).
The relic is considered an icon of good luck from the late First Temple Period. Such amulets were thought to bring prosperity and protection.
The discovery of the item was a win for the family and for the IAA. The IAA shared that, “The figurine that Zvi discovered is so rare that only one such example exists in the National Treasures collection.”
“The exemplary citizenship of young Zvi Ben-David will enable us to improve our understanding of cultic practices in biblical times, and man’s inherent need for material human personifications… The whole Ben-David family deserves a huge shoutout. Don’t you agree?”
Israel Antiquities Authority
It’s safe to say that young Zvi Ben-David has a promising future as a real-life Indiana Jones.
