An extraordinary discovery was unearthed in Jerusalem, according to the excavation directors — Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology and Near Eastern Cultures and Dr. Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The discovery includes an assemblage of ivory plaques from the First Temple period, among the few found anywhere in the world, and the first of their kind to be found in Jerusalem.

The ivories, considered one of the costliest raw materials in the ancient world, were found among the ruins of a palatial building in use when Jerusalem was at the height of its power, around the seventh century BCE. Scholars believe the decorated ivories were inlaid in wooden furnishings that were used by people of means, influence and power, possibly high government officials or priests.

Decorated ivories are the rarest finds in archaeological assemblages, their prestige stemming from the source of the ivory. Microscopic testing revealed the Jerusalem ivories were made from elephant tusk. Also contributing to prestige is the skill required to work with the material to create decorations.