Toddler finds nearly 4,000-year-old Egyptian scarab amulet while vacationing in Israel

A 3 ½-year-old girl vacationing in Israel found more than seashells during a family vacation early last month, instead digging up an amulet more than 1,000 times her age.

Ziv Nitzan, from Moshav Ramot Meir, found the amulet during a trip to Tel Azeka, near Beit Shemesh, said the Israel Antiquities Authority on Tuesday morning. It turns out the amulet is 3,800 years old, the authority said in a news release.

The family was walking along a path when Ziv bent down and picked the amulet up, her sister, Omer Nitzan, told the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Other stones surrounded the amulet, but this one stood out, her older sister said.

“When she rubbed it and removed the sand from it, we saw something was different about it,” Omer said. “I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone, and we realized we had discovered an archaeological find! We immediately reported this to the Israel Antiquities Authority.”

What is an ancient scarab amulet, and what was it used for?

The amulet Ziv found is shaped like a scarab or a beetle, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in the news release.

Ancient Egyptians saw some scarabs as representations of new life because the insects are known for rolling balls of dung and then laying their eggs in them, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. Their young would then hatch from these balls of dung. 

The scarab’s name comes from the Egyptian word "hprr," which means “to come into being” or “to be created,” according to the authority and the University of Tennessee's McClung Museum. The Egyptians thought the scarab symbolized the incarnation of God the Creator.

Daphna Ben-Tor, who works with ancient amulets and seals, told the Israel Antiquities Authority that the seal scarabs were also used as amulets.

“They were found in graves, in public buildings and in private homes,” Ben-Tor said in the news release. “Sometimes they bear symbols and messages that reflect religious beliefs or status.”

The seals were worn as jewelry at times, according to the Van Egmond Collection. They were also used for security, the Metropolitan Museum of Art said.

“The Egyptians did not have locks and keys,” according to the New York-based museum. “Instead, they would secure a chest or other container with a piece of knotted cord. A lump of clay was put over the knot and a seal was pressed into the clay. The cord would have to be cut, or the seal broken in order to open the container and remove the contents.” 

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‘Even children can be a part of discovering history’

Semyon Gendler is a Judah Region District Archaeologist working with the Israel Antiquities Authority. Gendler said Ziv and her family did the right thing in reporting the discovery and even gave the girl a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship. 

The amulet will be part of a display for Passover, which falls between April 12 and April 20. The seal will be at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, joined by other items being displayed for the first time.

Other items include seals of the pharaohs, Egyptian statues and ritual vessels, the authority said.

Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu said in the news release that Ziv’s find is proof of so much more than people realize.

“The seal that little Ziv found during a family trip to Tel Azekah connects us to a grand story, that of the ancient civilizations that lived in this land thousands of years ago,” Eliyahu said. “The scarab Ziv found also reminds us that in the Land of Israel, even children can be a part of discovering history.”

Saleen Martin is a reporter on Paste BN's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.