Rare Monastery Seal From Crusades-Era Found in Jerusalem

An 800-year-old lead seal that dates back to the Crusades was found in a Byzantine-era farmstead in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Tuesday

The governmental body, which aims to preserve the integrity of historical sites, said the seal is "an extraordinarily rare find, because no such seal has ever been discovered to date."

In 2012, the IAA conducted two archaeological digs at an Arab village called Horbat Mizmil in Jerusalem's Bayit Vegan neighborhood, which is now slated for development. It's common practice in Israel for new development sites to be examined for antiques, and it was here that they found the remains of the farmstead — and eventually the seal. Read more...