TEL AVIV – Stumped Israeli archaeologists have turned to Facebook for help in determining the purpose of a mysterious gold tool discovered in a Jerusalem cemetery.
“We’ve never seen such an object – either ancient or modern,” the Facebook post read.
The 8.5 kilo gold tool was discovered by a maintenance worker in a Jerusalem cemetery a few months ago. He noticed an abandoned package in an old structure on the grounds of the cemetery, and, in accordance with Israel’s security protocols regarding suspicious packages, contacted the police.
The police’s controlled explosion unearthed the strange gold object which was subsequently turned over the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The Israel Antiquities Authority claims to have never seen anything like it in the past. So, after several months of tests and examinations, they resorted to asking what they call the “wisdom of the crowd” for clues pointing to the object’s purpose and how it might have ended up in the cemetery.