Ancient 'Good Shepherd' Gold Ring Found Off Israeli Coast

Storyful
3 年前

An Israel Antiquities Authority marine archaeology survey found a number of ancient artefacts from two shipwrecks in recent months, including a rare gold “Good Shepherd” ring, as seen in underwater footage released on December 21.

“The image of the ‘Good Shepherd’ is one of the earliest and oldest images used in Christianity for symbolizing Jesus,” the authority said.

The wrecks from the Roman and Mamluk periods (roughly 1,700 and 600 years ago) near the town Caesarea in Israel were discovered during an underwater survey by the antiquities authority.

Hundreds of coins, silver and gold rings, rare gems, figurines and bells were found along with the wrecks, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

The thick, octagonal gold Good Shepard ring, set with a green gemstone, shows the figure of a young shepherd boy dressed in a tunic and bearing a ram or a sheep on his shoulders. Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority via Storyful