US Edition'Very Rare' African Ebony Figurines Found in 1,500-Year-Old Christian Burials in Israeli Desert
- Archaeologists uncovered five intricately carved ebony and bone figurines depicting African features in 1,500-year-old Christian burials in Tel Malhata, Israel's Negev Desert.
- The figurines were found in cist tombs dating to the 6th–7th centuries CE, within a burial site reflecting Christian practices and broader trade connections across Asia and Africa.
- The burials held two women and one child, with evidence suggesting the child and one woman belonged to the same family, possibly mother and son, accompanied by personal items and burial offerings.
- Researchers highlighted that the figurines likely served as wearable pendants with spiritual and ancestral significance, reflecting the multicultural identity of a Christian community in a trade crossroads.
- The findings deepen understanding of cultural diversity in ancient Israel and illustrate integration of peoples carrying traditions from distant regions into the local population about 1,500 years ago.
13 Articles
13 Articles
1500-year-old African figurines discovered in the Negev desert
The statuettes, discovered in Tel Malhata in 2017, indicate the presence of a Christian community in southern Israel 1,500 years ago. The post 1500-year-old African figurines discovered in the Negev desert appeared first on Jerusalem World News.
African figurines found in Israel reveal unexpected cultural connections
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Cologne University have made an unexpected discovery in Israel’s Negev Desert: carved figurines with apparent African origins. The figurines were uncovered during excavations at Tel Malhata, an elliptical-shaped mound located in the eastern sector of the Arad–Beer-sheba Valley. The site is often identified as Moladah, the biblical town of Simeon, and one of the cities of Judah (although ot…
African figurines made of Asian wood found in early Christian graves in Israel
Archaeologists excavating Byzantine tombs by the Nevatim air base in southern Israel two unique pendants that may whisper of early converts to Christianity from Ethiopia coming to the Holy Land
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