A Miniature Carving of Alexander the Great

Photo: Courtesy Tel Dor Excavation Delegation

Israel National News is reporting that a miniature carving of Alexander the Great was discovered in the excavations at Tel Dor. The following is an excerpt from the article:

Excavations in Tel Dor have turned up a rare and unexpected work of Hellenistic art: a precious stone bearing the miniature carved likeness of Alexander the Great. Archaeologists are calling it an important find, indicating the great skill of the artist.

The Tel Dor dig, under the guidance and direction of Dr. Ayelet Gilboa of Haifa University and Dr. Ilan Sharon of Jerusalem's Hebrew University, has just ended its summer excavation season. For more than 30 years, scientists have been excavating in Tel Dor, identified as the site of the Biblical town of Dor. The town's location, on Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast some 30 kilometers south of Haifa, made it an important international port in ancient times.

Historically, Alexander himself passed through Dor in 332 BCE, during his voyage to Egypt. It appears that the city fell to him without resistance. Since that time until its conquest by the Hasmonean Jewish King Alexander Yannai around 100 BCE, Dor served as a stronghold of non-Jewish Hellenists in the Land of Israel.

Read the news report in its entirety by visiting the web page of Israel National News.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary


Tags: Alexander the Great, Archaeology, Tel Dor