---

Associated Press, USA
Feb. 20, 2004
Gavin Rabinowitz
www.newsday.com

---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 6141 • Posted: Monday February 23, 2004  

---

JERUSALEM — Israeli archaeologists excavating caves near the Dead Sea discovered jewelry, a makeup kit and a small mirror — 2,500-year-old fashion accessories for women.

The trove apparently belonged to Jews who returned from exile in Babylon in the 6th century B.C., said Tsvika Tsuk, chief archaeologist for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

“This find is very rare. Both for the richness of the find and for that period, it is almost unheard of,” Tsuk said on Friday.

Using metal detectors, archeologists found the treasures under a stone-like accumulation of sediment thrown up by a nearby spring. They included a necklace made of 130 beads of semiprecious stones and gold; a scarab; an agate medallion of Babylonian origin; and a silver pendant with an engraved crescent moon and pomegranates.

What appears to be a makeup kit contained an alabaster bowl for powders, a stick to apply the cosmetics and a bronze mirror. They also found a pagan stamp showing a Babylonian priest bowing to the moon.

“These finds confirm the (biblical) accounts of Jews returning from exile in Babylon,” Tsuk said.

When the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Kingdom of Judah in 597 B.C., he sent many Jews into exile in Babylon. These Jews and their descendants were later allowed to return by the Persian monarch Cyrus in 538 B.C.

Tsuk said the find shows that there was a wealthy and flourishing community of returnees living in the area. “These are not the belongings of a simple person,” he said.

The archaeologists were part of a joint team from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. They have been excavating caves near the Dead Sea for the last three years.

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Archeology Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Archeology Read Another Article Previous entry: Five Falun Gong members jailed for posting “fabricated” news online Next entry: Ecleo ‘close to death’ RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Archeology Most Popular Today ‘World’s biggest animal sacrifice’ begins Suicide soldier’s family calls for Scientology probe UK man fears cult leader release Scientology church rejects allegations in death of 14-month-old girl

---

Share This Article

---

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.