Over the past year, there were several archaeological discoveries, the latest of which was the announcement by the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), of the discovery of ancient treasures from two shipwrecks off the coast of Caesarea, Israel.

Jacob Sharvit and Dror Planer of the IAA Marine Archaeology Unit pointed out that “the ships were probably anchored nearby and were wrecked in a storm".

‘Good shepherd’ring

The artefacts included a very special ring. It is an octagonal piece of gold with a green gem set and engraved with the image of a young shepherd boy in a tunic, with a ram or sheep on his shoulders.

The figure of the shepherd appears throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, we read in Isaiah 40:11: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart".

And it is also one of the earliest and most ancient ways of defining Jesus, as a compassionate shepherd of humanity. Jesus called himself a shepherd: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

The ring was found near the port of Caesarea, a key place for Christianity because it housed one of the first Christian communities.

It was there that the apostle Peter baptised the Roman centurion Cornelius in Acts 10, a place originally reserved only for Jews.

“Back then, Christianity was still in its infancy, but it was very evident that it was developing, especially in mixed cities like Caesarea”, said Helena Sokolov, director of nature conservation at IAA.

Other valuable objects

Among the valuable objects found were hundreds of Roman silver and bronze coins from the mid-3rd century AD and around 560 silver coins from the Mamluk period of the 14th century.

A bronze figurine in the shape of an eagle, a symbol of Roman rule, and a figurine of a Roman pantomimus with a comic mask were also found.

The underwater remains also included rare personal effects of the shipwrecked victims, such as a beautiful red gem with the carving of a lyre.

“Israel’s coasts are rich in sites and finds that are immensely important national and international cultural heritage assets. They are extremely vulnerable, which is why the Israel Antiquities Authority conducts underwater surveys to locate, monitor, and salvage any antiquities”, explained Eli Eskozido, Director of the IAA.