Finding an artifact on tour may sound unlikely, but it isn’t impossible!
When you visit Israel, you are walking through an archaeological site wherever you go! You never know when you might come into contact with something unbelievable, like an ancient artifact no one has ever seen before and you discover! So, what do you do if you discover something while you are in Israel?
Finding an artifact on tour might seem unlikely, but it does happen! Recently, an American tourist found a 5,000 year old intact jar in an area of Qumran that had been surveyed before. You just never know when the right wind of rain will uncover something incredible.
This jar is the only intact pottery found from the early bronze period. This would have mad this jar constructed and used in 3,000 BC. That means this jar predates King David by about 2,000 years!
The American who found this jar thankfully did everything correctly upon discovery. Artifact robbery and black markets are a very real issue and threat to Israeli history and archeology. So, what do you do if you happen to be walking along and you end up finding an artifact on tour?
- Don’t assume anything is insignificant. You may just see a piece of broken pottery, but every broken piece of pottery helps create the mosaic of Israeli history. A rock that has an interesting shape might be a more important artifact than you realize.
- Immediately go to your tour guide. All Immanuel Tours tour guides are specially trained and licensed guides. They not only know the history of the land, they also know what to do in different situations, including the discovery of a an artifact. They will know exactly what to do.
- Occasionally your tour may give you some free time to go explore or shop on your own. Most of the time this isn’t where you might find something, but some may find a few places where this can happen! If you find something while on your own, try to find a worker where you are. Also, if you can not, contact the Israeli Antiquities Authority. They will come straight away.
- No matter where you are, try to leave it where you found it. If you are afraid to leave it where it is, take notes, including pictures of exactly where you found it, even if you are just taking it to someone on site. Where you discover it is almost as important as the artifact. You never know what else they might find where it was! It also might tell a story about the piece you found.
Are you hoping to make a discovery of your own in Israel on a Christian Holy Land tour? We’d love to help! Contact us today to get your own proposal and make your risk-free plans to visit Israel soon!
