Apollo from Tel Dor

The diggers from the University of Haifa did not believe that the earth covered ring carried with it a rare secret. Only after the ring was cleaned did it become clear that the indentation on it is actually the profile of the Greek sun god*

A rare bronze signet ring with an imprint of the face of Apollo, the Greek sun god, was found in Tel Dor by excavators of the University of Haifa. "An art object of such a high level, undoubtedly created by first-rate artists, indicates that even in the field cities - and not only in the capital cities of the Hellenistic kingdoms - there were local elites who developed a taste for high art and the ability to purchase it," said Dr. Ayelet Gilboa, The head of the department of archeology at the University of Haifa who heads the excavations together with Dr. Ilan Sharon from the Hebrew University.

When the ring was first found, in a garbage pit in an area of ​​Hellenistic buildings, it was covered with layers of soil and corrosion and the researchers did not imagine that the depression on the ring depicted any figure. Only after the ring was cleaned in the conservation laboratories of the Institute of Archeology at the Hebrew University did it turn out to be the profile of a young, long-haired, beardless man with a laurel wreath on his head. The ring was examined by Prof. Jessica Nitschke, an expert in classical studies from Georgetown University, and by Dr. Rebecca Martin, an expert in art history from the University of Southeast Missouri, who are partners in the excavation, and both determined that the figure should be identified with Apollo. Apollo is one of the central Olympian gods in the Greek pantheon (assembly of gods), the god of light and the sun, who was responsible, among other things, for poetry and music.

According to Dr. Gilboa, the style of the ring and the archaeological context make it possible to date the ring to the fourth or third century BCE. Rings of this type were mainly used as a seal or dedicated to the temple of the god imprinted on the ring. The fact that the ring was found in an urban context, and as part of a systematic archaeological excavation, is of great importance, since most of the small art objects of this type found so far in the Middle East are of unknown origin - and originate from the illegal trade in antiquities, or were purchased by museums and collectors even before the beginning of the archaeological research the scientific

She further added that this ring in particular testifies to the cosmopolitan character of our region already more than 2000 years ago: the ring, which despite the ravages of time can easily be distinguished for its high quality, is probably related to a structure around which a small gemstone with a portrait of Alexander the Great and a mosaic floor of rare quality. The architectural features of the building itself also indicate grandeur.

It turns out, then, that the distribution of first-class artefacts was not limited to the capital cities of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the East, such as Alexandria in Egypt or Antioch and Seleucia in Syria, where the population was mostly Greek, but also spread to secondary centers, such as Dor, where the majority of the population were local residents . In Dor's case, it is pancakes.

The city of Dor was an important port on the Mediterranean coast from approximately 2000 BC until 250 AD. Artifacts in the Greek style, such as signet rings and dimples, begin to appear in the East during the reign of Persia (sixth-fourth centuries BCE) and their number increases after the conquest of the area by Alexander the Great, who passed through the generation on his journey from Tire to Egypt in 332 BCE. After this event, the city of Dor became one of the centers of the Greek culture in the Land of Israel - until its conquest by the Hasmonean king Alexander Yanai in approximately 100 BC - but the imprint of the Greek/Roman culture was evident in it even later, during the Roman period.

Tel Dor - located near Dor Beach (Tantura) between Haifa and Tel Aviv - has been excavated for about thirty years continuously and is on its way to becoming a declared national park by the Nature and Parks Authority. It is attended by groups from the Hebrew University and the University of Haifa, a group led by Prof. Sarah Stroup from the University of Washington in Seattle and a group led by Dr. Elizabeth Bloch-Smith from the University of St. Joseph in Philadelphia. The area where the ring was found was managed by Yeftah Shalev and Hagar Ben-Bast, advanced students of the archeology department. About 130 researchers, students, and volunteers, mostly from Israel and the USA, are participating in the 2010 season, which is being held these days. The ring will be shown to the public for the first time on the open day of the 2010 season, on August 6, at the Hazagga Museum in Kibbutz Nachsholim.