A 10-year-old boy discovered a 100-year-old cross medallion in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem neighborhood while on a school trip, the Israel Antiquities Authority reported on Sunday.
The golden medallion, which features a micro-mosaic technique, was examined by Dr. Amit Re’em, the IAA’s Jerusalem District Archaeologist. The cross is said to tell the story of Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land.Nehorai Nir explained how he discovered the object.
“I ran to pick it up and discovered a worm inside, so I reluctantly put it down. But on the way back up the hill, I suddenly saw a colorful object shining in the dirt. I pulled it out and was immediately very excited,” Nir said.Nir added that the staff on the field trip told him to contact the IAA, and when IAA personnel arrived, they were excited by the find.
“This cross medallion is not considered an antiquity by law as it is ‘only’ 100-200 hundred years old or so, but it is a unique object,” said Re’em.
“The manufacturing method demanded expert craftsmanship, which includes setting glass and tiny colorful precious stones, placed with exceeding precision to form miniature patterns. This technique was developed in Rome around the year 1800 or slightly earlier and continued until the early 20th century.”
Christian significance
Aside from the object’s beauty, Re’em added that the significance of the find was due to the place it was found, a site venerated by Christianity.
Ein Kerem is of great importance to Christians, who view it as the location of the “town in Judah” mentioned in the New Testament.
The “town of Judah” is the birthplace of John the Baptist and where the scripture says his mother, Elizabeth, while pregnant, met Jesus’ mother, Mary.
The meeting is believed to have taken place by what Christians have identified as the well in Ein Kerem.Due to this, two churches have been established in Ein Kerem: the Church of the Visitation and the Church of Saint John.
“This cross is a testament to the personal story of a pilgrim who visited Ein Kerem 100-200 years ago, reflecting the centrality of the Holy Land to the three monotheistic religions,” added Re’em.
“People were willing to cross deserts, mountains, and seas, often over the course of years, just to touch the soil where it all began. The cross may have arrived with a pilgrim from Europe and fallen during their journey in the Land of Israel, or perhaps it was purchased here in Jerusalem.
“When Nehorai shared the story of the discovery, one could almost imagine the moment the pendant was lost – only to be found by the boy about a century later,” Re’em said.
“I would like to personally thank Nehorai for his alertness and his prompt report of the medallion’s discovery,” said Eli Escusido, director-general of the IAA.
He continued, “This exciting find, in the very month that Christians celebrate Christmas, puts the spotlight on Ein Kerem as a central place of Christian pilgrimage in the Land of Israel.
“Through the medium of a small but unique object, we are exposed to the story of one individual’s thrilling personal journey, which connects us to the past history of this site and to the world of the pilgrims.”