While on a hike with her family in northern Israel, a 12-year-old girl named Dafna Filshteiner happened upon a priceless Egyptian scarab amulet dating back around 3,500 years. Whether it has the power to raise a mummy from its sarcophagus and unleash a plague remains to be seen.
The girl and her family were exploring the Tel Qana archaeological site when they spotted a decorative stone shaped like a beetle. It was a far cry from what she was actually looking for—smooth pebbles and porcupine needles. The family didn’t explain why they wanted those items, but I can only assume it was to fight off any mummies that may arise from the archaeological site.
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Her mother didn’t know what it was but had a gut feeling that it was old and potentially quite valuable. They conducted some internet searches to see if they could find any matches, which brought up images of similar-looking amulets that were associated with the ancient Egyptians.
Knowing they had a real artifact on their hands, they called up the IAA, the Israel Antiquities Authority.
In ancient Egyptian culture, a scarab was a symbol of life and rebirth. The amulet Filshteiner found also includes images of a couple of scorpions representing the Egyptian goddess Serket, protector of mothers, and the “nefer” meaning “good” or “chosen.”
The Tel Qana archaeological site where the amulet was found has long been a gold mine for such ancient discoveries. Archaeologists have been uncovering ancient artifacts at the site for decades, with pieces ranging from the Bronze Age to the Byzantine era.
