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By Abigail Klein Leichman - May 25, 2020

The story probably didn’t end happily for the bound and naked captive depicted on a 3,500-year-old clay tablet recently found in Israel.

Things have turned out much better for the six-year-old boy who stumbled across this rare find a couple of months ago.

Imri Elya from Kibbutz Nirim near the Gaza Strip spotted the 2.8-square-centimeter (1.1-square-inch) tablet while walking with his parents at the Tel Jemmeh archaeological site near Kibbutz Re’im.

The curious boy picked up the object and saw two figures engraved on it. His parents contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority and the item was transferred to the IAA’s National Treasures Department.

After photographing and documenting the artifact in the IAA’s digital photography laboratories, archaeologists realized that nothing similar has ever been discovered in archeological excavations in Israel.

Read More: Israel21c

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