A 12-year-old student has discovered a rare gemstone dating to the sixth century AD at Korazim National Park, an archaeological site near the Sea of Galilee linked to Jesus' ministry. The find, announced by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) in early June, sheds light on life and trade in ancient Galilee.
Alon Horowitz, a student at the Ramat Korazim Regional Elementary School, found the gemstone during a community excavation program organized by the INPA in partnership with Ariel University. The program allows local students to work alongside archaeologists and learn about ancient life.
Horowitz discovered the pale-blue gemstone with a reddish-brown rim just minutes before the dig concluded. "After three days of digging, about ten minutes before we finished, I was digging with my trowel and suddenly saw something blue, round and special," Horowitz stated. "I picked it up and showed it to the archaeologist. When I understood it was something rare, I felt really happy and proud."
The gemstone was identified as a Nicolo, a rare variety of agate considered a luxury item during the Roman and Byzantine eras. Achia Kohn-Tavor, director of excavations at Chorazin, stated that the stone was likely part of an expensive ring worn by an elite individual. "It was found inside a wealthy estate, suggesting it belonged to a member of an affluent household," Kohn-Tavor said. Archaeologists believe the stone could have belonged to either a man or a woman.
Korazim, identified with the biblical village of Chorazin, is mentioned in the New Testament as a place where residents witnessed Jesus' miracles but did not repent. The site is located approximately two miles north of Capernaum, which served as a central location for Jesus' ministry.
Archaeologists believe the Nicolo gemstone reached Korazim through long-distance trade routes that connected the region to the wider Roman and Byzantine world, as the stone was not locally sourced. Its presence indicates that the owner had access to international luxury goods.
This is not the first significant archaeological find by a child in Israel. In May, an eight-year-old boy discovered a 1,700-year-old Roman statuette fragment, and last year, a three-year-old girl found a 3,800-year-old Canaanite amulet.