400,000-year-old tools and 2,300-year-old ring uncovered in Israel

Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University have unearthed 400,000-year-old stone tools in northern Israel, revealing insights into the lives of early humans. The tools, crafted from flint sourced from the Samarian hills, were used for processing hides and removing meat from the bones of large game such as fallow deer. This discovery suggests that early hunters adapted their technology following the disappearance of elephants, focusing on hunting and processing fallow deer. The tools were found near the calving grounds of these deer, indicating a strategic approach to hunting and resource use. This find also implies that Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim may have held sacred significance for these ancient hunters as early as the Paleolithic period.

In a separate archaeological finding, a 2,300-year-old gold ring from the early Hellenistic period has been discovered in Jerusalem's City of David. The ring, which features a red precious stone likely to be garnet, was found during a joint excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University. The ring, believed to have been worn by a child, provides new insights into the nature and stature of Jerusalem's inhabitants during the Hellenistic period. The discovery suggests that the city's residents were influenced by the widespread Hellenistic culture of the eastern Mediterranean Basin. The ring will be displayed at the “Jerusalem Mysteries” conference on Jerusalem Day, June 5.