Gold rings for young girls?

ANCIENT RITUAL BLING? Hellenistic Gold Rings Found in Jerusalem Point to Ancient Greek ‘Coming-of-Age’ Ritual (Abdul Moeed, Greek Reporter).

Archaeologists digging beneath a Jerusalem courtyard have uncovered a set of tiny Hellenistic gold rings that date back more than 2,000 years. Researchers believe the rings were deliberately buried beneath the floors of an ancient building as part of a ‘coming-of-age’ ritual performed by young girls.

The rings were found with two other gold ornaments and three bronze earrings at the Givʽati Parking Lot excavation site in Jerusalem’s City of David. The pieces were buried beneath the floors of a large structure called Building 110, which dates to the late third and early second centuries BC.

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The underlying article in ‘Atiqot is open access:

‘Atiqot 121 (2026), pp. 1–22
Submitted: Dec 2, 2025 | Revised: Jan 25, 2026
Accepted: Mar 29, 2026 | Published: Aug 5, 2026
© 2026, the author(s) and the Israel Antiquities Authority
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Gold Rings for Young Girls: Ritual Deposition of Children’s Jewelry in a Domestic Context in Hellenistic-Period Jerusalem

Marion Sindel, Efrat Bocher, Rikki Zalut Har-Tuv, Yuval Gadot and Yiftah Shalev

This article examines four gold ornaments and three bronze earrings dated to the late third–early second centuries BCE, retrieved from Building 110 in the Givʽati Parking Lot (GPL) excavations in Jerusalem. Based on their intact state, intrinsic value and similar contexts, we propose that the artifacts were intentionally deposited in or below the building’s floors on different occasions. Technological and stylistic analyses connect the jewelry to broader Hellenistic polychrome traditions, and the exceptionally small rings suggest that they belonged to young children, most likely girls. Based on Greek epigraphic and literary evidence for female rites of passage, specifically premarital dedication of childhood objects, we propose that the jewelry deposits reflect a local domestic adaptation of Hellenistic coming-of-age rituals. This study demonstrates how careful reading of small finds in specific household contexts can shed light on elusive ritual behavior and on cultural interaction in Hellenistic Judea.

I noted the discovery of the first ring in 2024 here.

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On the Gezer Calendar

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The Gezer Calendar. An Israelite almanac or a writing exercise? (Marek Dospěl).

The so-called Gezer Calendar is a small limestone slab inscribed with a list of agricultural activities covering one full year. Thought to date from the tenth century BCE, it is one of the earliest known Canaanite inscriptions from Judah. Some would claim it is the earliest known inscription in Old Hebrew. ...

An excellent introduction to this fascinating little text, covering its discovery and the debates about its interpretation.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the Gezer Calendar, start here and follow the links. Cross-file under Northwest Semitic Epigraphy.

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Review of Lorber, Coins of the Ptolemaic empire, part 2

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW:

Coins of the Ptolemaic empire, part 2: Ptolemy V through Cleopatra VII

Catharine C. Lorber, Coins of the Ptolemaic empire, part 2: Ptolemy V through Cleopatra VII. Numismatic studies, 46. New York: American Numismatic Society, 2025. 3 vols. Pp. 946. ISBN 9780897224024.

Review by
Robyn L. Le Blanc, UNC Greensboro. rlleblan@uncg.edu ... In summary, Catharine Lorber’s completion of the Coins of the Ptolemaic Empire series is essential reading for any scholar interested in numismatics, the Hellenistic economy, and the Ptolemies in general. One hopes that, in addition, the production, clarity, and robustness of the material included in the analysis and syntheses of these coins, including explicit discussion of hoards, provenanced examples, and workshop processes, will be a model for future publications of this kind.

I noted the imminent publication of this volume, with links, here, and the publication of the Part 1 volume here. Cross-file under Numismatics.

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More on Huqoq at the Yigal Allon Center Museum

EXHIBITION: A 1,600-year-old Village, a Dazzling Mosaic and a New Story of Ancient Judaism. An exhibition near the Sea of Galilee offers a glimpse of Huqoq, the ancient village uncovered in 2011 that has archaeology enthusiasts enthralled. What does its spectacular mosaic reveal about Galilean Judaism – and when will the public finally get to see it? (Moshe Gilad, Haaretz).

An overview of the exhibit, good background on the excavation, and a substantial interview with the chief excavator, Jody Magness. Very informative.

Background on the exhibtion and on the remarkable discoveries at the site of Huqoq here and links.

By the way, don't worry about me, I'm fine. I just got distracted with other things for a few days.

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Review of Collins, Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism

WORD&WAY: Review: Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism (Robert D. Cornwall).

Because people, religious and nonreligious, use apocalyptic imagery and language to describe contemporary realities, it is helpful to understand the origins of this language and the ideas associated with it. While the focus is on ancient Judaism, understanding this material can help us better understand the ministry and message of Jesus and other early Christians, including Paul. By studying apocalyptic ideas, we gain more insight into the traditions that developed after apocalyptic ideas began to permeate religious society. In his book, Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism, Collins does an excellent job of helping us understand the apocalyptic worldview, including its secular forms.

I noted the publication of the book here.

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The MOTB DSS exhibit - final rotation

EXHIBITION UPDATE: The Oldest Biblical Fragments On Earth Leave Washington In Two Weeks — Then Return To The Dark. In a closing exhibition, the oldest surviving copies of Scripture offer a rare window into Second Temple Judaism and the roots of two faiths (Leona Salinas, Daily Wire).

The oldest surviving copies of biblical texts are on view for a final few weeks at the Museum of the Bible in Washington. Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition, now in its last rotation on the museum’s fifth floor, closes September 7. The fragments recovered from the caves near Qumran remain among the most important archaeological finds of the twentieth century, offering a direct window into the Hebrew Scriptures and the Jewish world of the Second Temple period.

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I think I would nuance the comments about the enthusiam of the Qumran community for the Messiah. The concept does appear, sometime doubled, but it's not all that prominent.

Anyway, it's good to see that the IAA is taking steps to preserve the Dead Sea Scrolls for another 2,000 years.

Previous posts on the exhibition are here and links.

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