Israeli archaeologists have uncovered rare Christian burial figurines in the Negev Desert, Israel.
This reportedly sheds light on a culturally diverse African Christian community that lived in southern Israel around 1,500 years ago.
The discovery, announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), was made at Tel Malḥata, an ancient trade crossroads once frequented by merchants from Africa, India and the Arabian Peninsula, as reported by Fox News.
Excavations revealed graves of women and children containing well-preserved ebony and bone carvings, alongside pottery, bronze jewellery and glassware.
The figurines, described by researchers as “heads of African figures, carved in black wood”, were likely worn as personal items, symbolising identity and ancestral connection.
The research team said: “It is possible that the figures represent ancestors, reflecting traditions passed down from generation to generation, even after the adoption of the Christian religion.”
The artefacts, remarkably intact after fifteen centuries, highlight how early Christian communities in Israel carried forward cultural memory and faith from their African heritage.
One grave, believed to contain a mother and child, included two such figurines placed carefully among the burial offerings.
Eli Escusido, director of the IAA, called the find “moving, not only from an archaeological perspective, but also on a human level".
He added: “They serve as a reminder that the Land of Israel has always been a crossroads of cultures and peoples.”