African-Inspired Christian Figurines Found in Ancient Negev Graves

A remarkable archaeological discovery in Israel’s Negev desert has shed light on a culturally diverse Christian community that flourished 1,500 years ago. Five intricately carved figurines, including rare African-inspired pieces, were recently uncovered in ancient tombs of women and children at Tel Malḥata in the Arad Valley, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday.

The figurines made from bone and ebony wood feature distinctly African facial features and were designed to be worn around the neck, suggesting they served a deeply personal and possibly spiritual purpose. The ebony used in the carvings originated in southern India and Sri Lanka, underscoring the far-reaching trade networks that connected Israel to Africa and Asia during the Byzantine period.

Researchers believe these miniature sculptures may have represented ancestors, reflecting enduring cultural traditions that continued even after the community's adoption of Christianity.

“It is likely these were not just decorative,” explained Dr. Noé D. Michael of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Cologne, who led the research. “They were intimate items that carried identity, memory, and perhaps even a spiritual connection to the wearer’s heritage.”

The graves, dating to the 6th and 7th centuries CE, were clearly Christian. Yet the presence of African-style figurines is highly unusual, suggesting a previously undocumented multicultural dimension to ancient Christian communities in the Holy Land.

Additional grave goods such as glassware, alabaster jewelry, and bronze bracelets point to the social status of those buried. In one burial, researchers discovered a woman and child interred side by side with two figurines, suggesting they may have been mother and son.

Tel Malḥata, once a vital crossroads of Roman-Byzantine trade, saw the movement of merchants and migrants from Arabia, Africa, and India. This new find supports long-held historical theories that the Negev was not only a strategic hub but a melting pot of cultures, faiths, and traditions.

For modern Israel, these discoveries continue to affirm the deep historical roots of spiritual communities across the land Christian, Jewish, and others who called this region home.

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