Boy discovers ancient gemstone at site linked to Jesus' ministry in Galilee
A region in the state of Israel known as the biblical location where Jesus walked on water has yielded a rare ancient gemstone thought to be more than 1,500 years old.
A 12-year-old sixth-grade student unearthed the find during a recent educational dig led by Israel Nature and Parks Authority along with Ariel University, according to Times of Israel.
Believed to date as far back as the first century AD, the deep blue agate gemstone was likely worn as jewelry by a wealthy individual, according to the report.
Adam Horowitz, the boy who made the discovery, told the Times of Israel he spotted the gemstone while digging with a pickaxe after nearly three days of excavation at the site, telling the news outlet that he “suddenly saw something blue, round and special.”
Horowitz added, “I picked it up and showed it to the archaeologist. When I realized it was something rare, I felt really happy and proud.”
Achia Cohen Tavor of Ariel University shared an image of the gemstone — which appeared roughly the size of a lithium battery — captured by an Israeli newspaper.
Located 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north of the Sea of Galilee, Korazim — also referred to as “Chorazin” — was the site of a Jewish village for about a millennium, starting from the end of the Second Temple Period around 2,000 years ago until the 11th century AD.
Overlooking the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked on water in Matthew 14, the Korazim archaeological site includes remains from a synagogue and draws crowds of tourists and Christian pilgrims to the New Testament location.
Mentioned in both Matthew and Luke, the town was notorious for being one of the cities over which Jesus pronounced judgement for not receiving His teaching in Matthew 11:20-21: "Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.'"
According to Times of Israel, the finding is the latest rare artifact to be found by an aspiring archaeologist after a young girl found a 1,500-year-old bronze coin on the ground during a 2021 excavation trip at Korazim National Park.
The student excavations at the historic site are part of a park initiative called Digging Through Time, in which families and groups can participate in an expert-led dig where visitors learn how findings are identified and get the opportunity to sift through the same area where Jesus is believed to have once walked.
Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ian.giatti@christianpost.com.
