Israel Antiquities Authority claims that the'magical mirror' was meant to shield its owner from bad spirits.
Youth leader Aviv Weitzman holding the magical mirror plaque she discovered at Usha. Photo: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority
In a northern Israeli archaeological dig, a 17-year-old Israeli youth leader came across an old "magical mirror."
Aviv Weizman, a resident of Kiryat Motskin close to Haifa, participated in an archaeological dig at the historic site of Usha under the direction of the Israel Antiquities Authority, when she discovered the 1,500-year-old "magical mirror."
The piece, according to Navit Popovitch, curator of the classical periods for the Israel Antiquities Authority, is from a "magical mirror" that dates to the Byzantine era, between the 4th and 6th century CE.
"A glass mirror, for protection against the Evil Eye, was placed in the middle of the plaque: the idea was that the evil spirit, such as a demon, who looked in the mirror, would see his own reflection, and this would protect the owner of the mirror," Popovitch explained.
Popovitch continued, "Similar mirror plaques have been discovered in the past as funerary gifts in graves, to protect the deceased on their trip to the world to come.
Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, added that the young leaders made "additional finds" while on their week-long trek from Mount Meron to Mount Hermon, participating in excavations along the way, including pottery jars, coins, decorated stone fragments, and even a water aqueduct.
The group of youth leaders preparing for work. Photo: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.
"The ground brings history, which is typically taught in classrooms, to life. During an excavation, a student who discovers a find will always remember the moment. Escusido asserted that there is no better approach to connect the next generation to the nation and its history.
Weizman's discovery, in the words of Saar Ganor, the project's coordinator for the Israel Antiquities Authority, "embellishes the two-way contribution of the cooperation between the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Ministry of Education Shelah Project: at the same time, uncovering the country's past, and also providing the youth with a personal empowering experience, connecting them to their roots."
