Givati Parking Lot dig
Encyclopedia
The Givati Parking Lot dig is an archaeological excavation located in the City of David neighborhood, the original center of the city of Jerusalem. The dig is conducted by Doron Ben-Ami
of the Israel Antiquities Authority
and underwritten by the City of David Foundation.
.
. It is made from onyx
. The cupid is in a "striking" blue on a dark brown ground, he has wings and curly hair. The round cameo would have been an insert in a piece of jewelry. Cupid’s left hand rests on an overturned torch, symbolizing death, so it was probably a mourning piece.
In 2008 archaeologists uncovered a hoard
of 250 gold coins dated to the 7th-century.
Doron Ben-Ami
Doron Ben-Ami is an Israeli archaeologist.Ben-Ami earned his PhD at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he is a member of the Institute of Archaeology.He is the discoverer of the palace of Queen Helena of Adiabene in the City of David, Jerusalem....
of the Israel Antiquities Authority
Israel Antiquities Authority
The Israel Antiquities Authority is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservation, and promotes research...
and underwritten by the City of David Foundation.
Royal palace
Among the discoveries is an ancient building believed to have been the palace of Queen Helena of AdiabeneHelena of Adiabene
Helena of Adiabene was queen of Adiabene and wife of Monobaz I. With her husband she was the mother of Izates II and Monobaz II. She died about 56 CE. Her name and the fact that she was her husband's sister indicate a Hellenistic origin...
.
Interesting finds
In 2010, the dig produced a small, Roman-era cameo of CupidCupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
. It is made from onyx
Onyx
Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color . Commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of black and/or white.-Etymology:...
. The cupid is in a "striking" blue on a dark brown ground, he has wings and curly hair. The round cameo would have been an insert in a piece of jewelry. Cupid’s left hand rests on an overturned torch, symbolizing death, so it was probably a mourning piece.
In 2008 archaeologists uncovered a hoard
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
of 250 gold coins dated to the 7th-century.