‘I saw a yellow color’: Volunteer uncovers 2,000-year-old Galilee treasure

The discovery was made by a volunteer working with the ongoing excavation team, which has been uncovering and restoring the ancient city of Susita — also known by its Greek name, Hippos — for the past 26 years.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

A gold ring and a pair of earrings, dating back nearly two millennia, were unearthed during archaeological excavations in Susita National Park, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced on Thursday.

The discovery was made by a volunteer working with the ongoing excavation team, which has been uncovering and restoring the ancient city of Susita — also known by its Greek name, Hippos — for the past 26 years.

“I went with a metal detector in the field, and suddenly I heard a special beep that usually distinguishes between ordinary and special metals. I started digging and suddenly I saw a yellow color. I continued digging and saw a small and special gold ring,” said Eddie Lipsman.

“I was amazed by the special find. To my delight, I also identified the pair of gold earrings at the site, but this find, in light of its small and unique size, really moved me.”

According to Dr. Michael Eisenberg, one of the directors of the Susita Excavation Expedition on behalf of the University of Haifa, “The tiny, heavy gold ring must have been lost by a daughter of a wealthy family in Susita.”

He explained, “The pair of gold earrings, one of which is particularly beautiful, were probably used as burial offerings and disappeared from the eyes of the ancient robbers. These finds date back to the Roman period, between the first and third centuries CE.”

In addition to the jewelry, archaeologists uncovered dozens of fragments of intricate stucco work from a Roman-Byzantine residential neighborhood.

These painted plaster pieces once decorated the interior walls of a wealthy home.

“After a long and meticulous conservation process, the bright colors of the plaster are coming back to life,” said Eisenberg. “We can only imagine the full splendor of the wealthy home as it appeared in ancient times.”

Susita is a prominent archaeological site in Israel, located atop a mountain east of the Sea of Galilee. Founded in the 2nd century BCE during the Hellenistic period, it flourished under Roman rule as part of the Decapolis—a group of Hellenized cities in the Levant.

The city’s name, meaning “horse” in both Greek and Hebrew, is reflected in its ancient emblems and coins.

Susita became a Christian center in the Byzantine era, featuring churches and monasteries, before being destroyed by a major earthquake in 749 CE. It was never rebuilt and remains remarkably well-preserved.

This season’s excavation work is focused on exposing a residential quarter of the city, its ancient cemeteries, a Roman cathedral, and a recently uncovered monumental gate.

International volunteers from the United States, Germany, England, and Italy joined Israeli students from the University of Haifa’s Institute of Archaeology and School of Maritime Civilizations to take part in the excavation efforts.