Israeli researchers on Wednesday displayed a Roman-era golden ring with an early Christian symbol for Jesus inscribed in its gemstone that was found in a shipwreck off the ancient port of Caesarea.
The thick octagonal gold ring with a green gemstone bears the figure of the “Good Shepherd” in the form of a young shepherd in a tunic with a ram or sheep across his shoulders.
The ring was found among a trove of third-century Roman coins, as well as a bronze eagle figurine, bells to ward off evil spirits, pottery and a Roman pantomimus figurine in a comic mask, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement.
Photo: EPA-EFE
A red gemstone with a carving of a lyre was also found in the relatively shallow waters, as well as remains of the wooden hull of the ship, the government body said.
Caesarea was the local capital of the Roman empire in the third century and its port was a key hub for Rome’s activity, said Helena Sokolov, a curator at the agency’s coin department who researched the Good Shepherd ring.
While the image exists in early Christian symbolism — representing Jesus as a caring shepherd, tending to his flock and guiding those in need — finding it on a ring was rare, Sokolov said.
The presence of such a symbol on a ring, probably owned by a Roman operating in or around Caesarea, made sense, given the ethnically and religiously heterogenous nature of the port in the third century, she said.
“This was a period when Christianity was just in its beginning, but definitely growing and developing, especially in mixed cities like Caesarea,” she told reporters, adding that the ring itself was small, implying that it might have belonged to a woman.
While Christianity was being practiced in “underground” forums at the time, the Roman empire was relatively tolerant of new forms of worship, including around Jesus, making it reasonable for a wealthy citizen of the empire to wear such a ring, she said.
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