A 12-year-old schoolboy recently discovered a precious gemstone dating back at least 1,500 years in the Korazim National Park in the Upper Galilee, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said Monday. Korazim was an ancient Jewish village that, according to the New Testament, was cursed by Jesus for rejecting his teachings.

The stone, a prestigious variety of agate known as “Nicolo,” which was probably set in a piece of jewelry from Roman or Byzantine times (1st – 6th centuries CE), was found by Alon Horowitz during a community excavation carried out by the Parks Authority in cooperation with Ariel University in the West Bank.

“After three days of excavations, about 10 minutes before we finished, I was digging with a pickaxe and suddenly saw something blue, round, and special,” Horowitz, who is attending Ramat Korazim Regional Elementary School, said, according to a statement by the Parks Authority. “I picked it up and showed it to the archaeologist. When I realized it was something rare, I felt really happy and proud.”

Located a few kilometers north of the Sea of Galilee, Korazim was the site of a Jewish........

© The Times of Israel