Russia (bbabo.net), - In Israel, archaeologists first showed a find made several years ago. It is an ancient ring decorated with the image of St. Nicholas, the righteous man who served as the prototype for Santa Claus and Santa Claus.
According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, this extremely rare artifact was found several years ago by a gardener named Dekel Ben Shitrit. The find was made in the Jezreel Valley, and, as the department notes, nothing like this had been found in Israel before.
The medieval ring is made of bronze, so it is quite well preserved. The restorers have already worked on it. As a result, the image of a bald man with a stick, which, according to experts, is a bishop's staff, was cleared from the centuries-old plaque.
According to Dr. Yana Chekhanovets, an expert in Byzantine archeology, the ring depicts Saint Nicholas - the same righteous man who served as the prototype of the western Santa Claus. In addition, Saint Nicholas and the characters of Slavic fairy tale folklore, generalized under the name Frost, are considered prototypes of our Father Frost. This saint is especially revered in Russia. Moreover, scientists do not exclude that the ring could have entered the territory of Israel from our country.
“Saint Nicholas in the Eastern Christian world was the patron saint of wanderers, including pilgrims and sailors, - explains Yana Chekhanovets. - Christian pilgrims who came here from all over the Byzantine Empire, from the territory of modern Turkey, the Balkan countries, Greece and Russia, often wore icons with the image of St. Nicholas to keep out of trouble. This ring may well have belonged to one of these pilgrims. "
bbabo.Net