First Temple Period Earring

In November 2020, the Temple Mount Sifting Project (TMSP) in Israel announced the discovery of a First Temple period earring, likely the netifot described in Isaiah 3:19. It is made of four layers of tiny gold beads forming a petal shape. Gold jewelry is rarely found among artifacts from the First Temple period.

Isaiah 3:18-23 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, the crescent ornaments, the earrings, the bracelets, and the veils; the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; the signet rings, the nose rings; the festal robes, the cloaks, the shawls, and the handbags; the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the long robes.

In August 2020, 9-year-old Jerusalem boy Binyamin Milt, volunteering with his family, discovered this well-preserved ornament during artifact sifting. It was initially mistaken for a modern item but was later found to be nearly 3,000 years old. The TMSP project is a response to the illegal renovation work carried out by the Islamic Movement on the Temple Mount in 1999, which dumped over 9,000 tons of earth into the Kidron Valley. Israeli archaeologists recovered the debris in 2004 and began sifting through it. Over the years, it has developed into an internationally significant project, attracting over 200,000 volunteers who have helped researchers find thousands of priceless treasures.