Archaeological News: Egyptian Deity Pendant, Herodian Structure Fragment Found in Jerusalem Dig:
While deep within excavations of an ancient Byzantine tower structure in the Ophel area of Jerusalem, a team of archaeologists, students and volunteers recently unearthed two important finds representing ancient times that were centuries apart.
The first, only about one inch in length, was a small white necklace pendant made from faience. Originally green, the pendant was a figurine depicting the ancient Egyptian god Bes, a deity worshipped as a fertility god and protector of families and households, and in particular, of mothers, children and childbirth. The find is rare in that it is the first and only artifact of its kind, that of Bes, ever found in Jerusalem. Other Bes finds have been found throughout Egypt.