Greeting from the Ancient Past: Israeli Girl Finds Rare Egyptian Amulet

JERUSALEM, Israel – A 12-year-old girl taking part in the Temple Mount Sifting Project came across a rare Egyptian amulet bearing the name of Thutmose III, a pharaoh who reigned from 1479 to 1425 B.C.

Jerusalem resident Neshama Spielman, who came with her family to take part in the sifting, said the find would make the upcoming Passover holiday "extra meaningful."

"While I was sifting, I came across a piece of pottery that was different from others I had seen, and I immediately thought that maybe I had found something special," she said.

"It's amazing to find something thousands of years old from ancient Egypt all the way here in Jerusalem!" she explained. "Celebrating Passover this year is going to be extra meaningful for me!"

Israeli archaeologists Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira co-founded the Temple Mount Sifting Project in 2004, five years after the Islamic Waqf began illegally removing tons of earth from the site.

Israeli archaeologists were appalled at the Waqf's reckless behavior. Barkay and Dvira decided the only way to reclaim at least some of the antiquities discarded in the Kidron Valley was to start a project to meticulously sift through the piles of earth. And so they organized the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

Under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University and supported by the City of David Foundation and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the project has hosted more than 170,000 volunteers from Israel and around the world. The project, they say, represents "an unprecedented phenomenon in the realm of archaeological research."

A loop on the top of the small amulet, which is missing its bottom part, shows that it was meant to be worn as a pendant.

"The raised decoration displays a cartouche, an oval frame surrounding Egyptian hieroglyphics bearing the name of the Egyptian ruler," the press release stated.

"Objects bearing the name of Thutmose III continued to be produced in Egypt long after the time of his reign, reflecting the significance and lasting impression of this king," Barkay explained.

Archaeologist Assaf Avraham, director of the Jerusalem Walls National Park under the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, called the timing of the discovery "symbolic."

"A discovery such as this is particularly symbolic at this time of year, with the Passover festival just a few days away and represents greetings from the ancient past," Avraham said.

Barkay said Thutmose III is one of the most prominent pharaohs in Egypt's New Kingdom.

"He is credited with establishing the Egyptian imperial province in Canaan, conducting 17 military campaigns to Canaan and Syria and defeating a coalition of Canaanite kings at the city of Megiddo in 1457 B.C.," he explained.

"Thutmose III referred to himself as 'the one who has subdued a thousand cities,' and it is known that for more than 300 years, during the Late Bronze Age, Canaan and the city state of Jerusalem were under Egyptian dominion, likely explaining the presence of this amulet in Jerusalem," he said.

On Friday evening, family and friends throughout Israel and in Jewish communities worldwide will take part in a Passover Seder, recounting the story of the Israelites' delivery from Egyptian slavery recorded in the Book of Exodus.