\u201cI had two days off from IDF reserves service, and I decided to take advantage of the sunny days to hike,\u201d Avrahamov said, according to an Israel Antiquities Authority<\/a> news release. \u201cWhile walking, I saw something shiny on the ground, and at first, I thought it was a bead or an orange stone. When I picked it up, I noticed that it was engraved like a scarab or beetle.\u201d<\/p>\n Avrahamov contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority, which — upon inspection — told him it was a 2,800-year-old Assyrian seal, or scarab, dating to the time of Solomon\u2019s temple. The seal likely was used around the time the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel — events that are described in 2 Kings<\/a>.<\/p>\n The seal has the appearance of an orange insect and depicts a winged creature on the bottom.<\/p>\n Nir Distelfeld of the Israel Antiquities Authority was the first to receive a call from Avrahamov.<\/p>\n \u201cI told him to take a good look at the other side of the scarab — the flat side — and check if it was also engraved,\u201d Distelfeld said. \u201cI immediately heard exclamations of excitement on the phone, and he told me that he could see a figure or image.\u201d<\/p>\n Othmar Keel, an emeritus professor at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, said the object is made of a \u201csemi-precious stone called carnelian\u201d and depicts \u201ceither a mythical griffin creature or a galloping winged horse.\u201d<\/p>\n Other scarabs like it have been dated to the eighth century B.C.<\/p>\n It was found \u201cat the foot of Tel Rekhesh, one of the most important tells in Galilee,\u201d Distelfeld said.<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/media.swncdn.com\/via\/images\/2024\/02\/14\/34588\/34588-417690778696113146030173728332183219242312n_source_file.webp\")
<\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/media.swncdn.com\/via\/images\/2024\/02\/14\/34587\/34587-4188059846961131260301756180590851591999167n_source_file.webp\")
<\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n