Israeli child discovers rare gemstone at biblical Korazim in Galilee

Israel's Galilee region has been in the headlines in recent months because of rocket and drone attacks by the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah. However, on Monday, the region made news for a very different reason when a school excavation trip at Korazim National Park led to a significant archaeological discovery.

Twelve-year-old Alon Horowitz, a student at Ramat Korazim Regional Elementary School, was participating in an excavation conducted by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority in cooperation with Ariel University in Samaria when he discovered a rare gemstone.

The stone Horowitz found is an agate of the "Nicolo" variety, which is rare and highly valued.

Archaeologists believe the stone was likely part of a piece of jewelry worn by a wealthy individual during the late Roman or early Byzantine periods, roughly between the first and sixth centuries AD.

Further study of the stone and the site where it was found may help researchers narrow that timeframe.

Horowitz described the discovery to the Parks Authority:

“After three days of excavations, about 10 minutes before we finished, I was digging with a pickaxe and suddenly saw something blue, round, and special. I picked it up and showed it to the archaeologist. When I realized it was something rare, I felt really happy and proud.”

“Small finds like this open a large window into the personal lives of the residents of ancient Korazim, not only its buildings and streets, but also to their world of beauty, personal status, and connections,” said Achia Cohen Tavor, Director of Excavation at Ariel University.

He added that stones like this were often part of jewelry worn by wealthy people in the ancient Near East. The presence of such a stone in the ruins of Byzantine-era Korazim indicates that it was a prosperous center of trade and production.

This assessment is consistent with other artifacts unearthed at the site, including a large synagogue and mikveh, wine-production machinery, and an olive press, all of which point to a relatively sophisticated commercial infrastructure.

Korazim National Park is built around the archaeological remains of an ancient Jewish village mentioned in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' earthly ministry.

In Matthew Chapter 11, we read that Jesus visited this area and shared His message there, but the villages rejected this message, leading Him to declare in verse 21, “Woe to you, Korazim! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

The same quotation appears in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verse 13.

Located just north of the Sea of Galilee, the park has long been a destination for tourists, particularly Christian pilgrims.

Archaeological excavations at the site have uncovered numerous artifacts from the time of Jesus, drawing interest from visitors, researchers, students and historians alike.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority website describes the site by saying it contains “A Jewish town in a basalt landscape overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The beautiful synagogue at Korazim, built at the end of the fourth century or the beginning of the fifth century CE, is made of basalt, the region’s most common stone, carved in geometric, floral and faunal patterns."