American teenager discovers 3,300-year-old amulet during first Israel trip

A 17-year-old Jewish American high school student visiting Israel for the first time discovered a 3,300-year-old amulet during a tour of Tel Gezer National Park in the Judean Lowlands, just days after arriving in the country.

Shiloh Attoun, who was participating in a Muss High School Israel program run by Jewish National Fund-USA, spotted the scarab-like amulet seal on the ground during the group's visit to the archaeological site.

Professor Ido Koch of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures later examined the artifact and determined that it dates to the Late Bronze Age, in the second millennium BC.

“This was our class's first trip to see the country; we arrived only two days earlier,” said Attoun. “As we were learning about Tel Gezer’s history and archaeology, I noticed a small, interesting object on the ground. It looked ancient. I picked it up and consulted my guide. I couldn't believe it was happening to me – a moment ago we were talking about the slim chances of ever discovering such a find, and here was one right in my hand!”

Benji Hain, Dean of Students at Muss, said the discovery generated excitement among the students and that the group immediately contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) to report the find.

“This discovery sparked great excitement among the students. As soon as we realized that this might be a significant archaeological find, it was important for us to immediately contact the Israel Antiquities Authority, report it, and ensure that we were acting in the right way.”

Archaeologist Adam William Asper, a supervisor in the IAA's Central Region, met with the Muss High School group, accepted the amulet on behalf of the National Treasures of Israel and presented Attoun with a certificate of appreciation for demonstrating good citizenship.

“Shiloh's story is a charming example of the connection forged between the young people who come to study in Israel and the country’s history and archaeology, through firsthand experience in the field,” said Amit Melman, Central Region Educational Director at the IAA.

“Shiloh and the program instructors deserve praise for showing responsibility and immediately handing over the find to our national repository. Thanks to them, this special find was preserved, and we can all learn from it," Melman continued.

Tali Tzour Avner, Director of Jewish National Fund-USA in Israel, said the discovery reflected the educational experience the organization hopes to provide students through its Muss program:

“Shiloh, born into a Jewish-American family, came to Israel as part of an educational program at Jewish National Fund-USA's Muss High School Israel to deepen his connection with Israel, its people, and its landscapes. Already on his very first trip, he got to know the country on foot and met a piece of its history up close. This is the experience we work hard to give our students: to get to know Israel, to feel they belong to it, and to discover that they too have a place in its story.”

Professor Koch also explained the imagery depicted on the ancient scarab and its connection to Egyptian symbolism.

“An interesting scene appears on the scarab: two cobras above a semi-ellipse,” he said. “The cobra, identified with the biblical serpent and called in Egyptian and in Greek ‘Uraeus,’ was a very common protective and royal symbol in ancient Egypt and the southern Levant. The semi-ellipse below the cobras represents the Egyptian hieroglyphic sign 'nb', which means 'lord.' A scarab depicting a similar scene – but with three snakes – was earlier found in the Tel Megiddo excavations.”