The 11-Year-Old Boy Who Stumbled Upon A 2,500-Year-Old Fertility Amulet
Israel Antiquities AuthorityZvi Ben-David, the 11-year-old who found the amulet.
In February 2021, 11-year-old Zvi Ben-David was hiking with his family near the Besor River when he noticed an unusual object along the river banks. The small ceramic figurine he picked up turned out to be a rare 2,500-year-old fertility amulet from biblical times.
Though it initially appeared to be nothing more than a lumpy stone, closer examination revealed its true identity.
The small figure was just under three inches tall and two-and-a-half inches wide. It depicted a woman with a prominent nose, wearing a scarf that covered her head and neck, with her hands folded beneath her chest. Despite thousands of years having worn away many details, the amulet’s female form remained recognizable.
The young boy had no way of knowing just how significant his find was at the time, but the Israel Antiquities Authority did. “The figurine that Zvi discovered is so rare that only one such example exists in the National Treasures collection,” they announced at the time.
After careful examination by IAA archaeologist Oren Shmueli and curator Debbie Ben Ami, the figurine was dated to approximately 2,500 years ago — specifically the sixth to fifth centuries B.C.E., during the Late Iron Age. This timeframe corresponded to the end of the First Temple period or the return to Zion, linking the object directly to biblical history.
Despite being exceptionally rare nowadays, such pottery figurines depicting women were rather common in ancient Israeli homes during various historical periods and served as symbolic amulets to ensure protection, good luck, prosperity, and fertility.
Israel Antiquities AuthorityThe biblical period fertility amulet found during a family hike.
It’s little wonder why these figures were so common. Life was harsh during the biblical period. Families faced devastating infant mortality rates — around one-third of babies died — and lacked more modern medical knowledge about hygiene and treatment. Women struggling with fertility issues often turned to these amulets for hope and spiritual assistance.
“In the absence of advanced medicine,” Shmueli and Ben Ami explained, “amulets provided hope and an important way of appealing for aid.”
The Ben-David family’s responsible handling of the discovery impressed the IAA. Rather than keeping the artifact privately, they immediately reported it to authorities, enabling proper archaeological study. The IAA awarded Zvi a certificate of appreciation for his remarkable find and exemplary citizenship.
The amulet was incorporated into the IAA’s National Treasures collection, where experts could study it alongside the only other known example.
