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Sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah, Tomb KV8, Valley of the Kings. Photo taken by Hajor, December 2002, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license.

Rare sarcophagus, Egyptian scarab found in Israel

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah, Tomb KV8, Valley of the Kings. Photo taken by Hajor, December 2002, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license.
Sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah, Tomb KV8, Valley of the Kings. Photo taken by Hajor, December 2002, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license.

JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s Antiquities Authority says archaeologists have unearthed a rare sarcophagus featuring a slender face and a scarab ring inscribed with the name of an Egyptian pharaoh.

The mystery man whose skeleton was found inside the sarcophagus was most likely a local Canaanite official in the service of ancient Egypt, Israeli archaeologists believe, shining a light on a period when pharaohs governed the region.

Edwin van den Brink, an Egyptologist and archaeologist with the authority, says the face is “very serene.”

He said his team of archaeologists found the sarcophagus while digging in recent months in northern Israel’s Jezreel Valley. He says the last time a similar item was found in the area was about 50 years ago.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah, Tomb KV8, Valley of the Kings. Photo taken by Hajor, December 2002, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license.
Sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah, Tomb KV8, Valley of the Kings. Photo taken by Hajor, December 2002, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license.