What is Saint Nicholas doing in an Israeli garden?

In late February, Dekel Ben-Shitrit was working away an afternoon in the garden of his Moshav Yogev home. Watering the plants, pulling the weeds, a completely typical day. That was at least until something interesting caught his eye. A dull and dirty ring, surfaced in the churning soil of uprooted weeds. Surprised, Dekel plucked the ring out of the earth, cleaning it with his fingers. What he found was a small carved figure of a man.

Finding a piece of jewelry in your garden would be a small thrill anywhere, but in Israel, it isn't just a curiosity, but likely a piece of history. The land is so steeped in history and culture that it is a natural hot spot for artifacts and relics of the past. This concentration of history combined with the  shallow soil and dry climate of the region means landscapers, farmers, and construction workers not only have a much higher chance than normal of stumbling over small trinkets, but that they are likely to still be in good and recognizable condition.

This is what Dekel found out when he posted a few pictures of the ring to Facebook. Asking his social network if anyone could shed any light on the origins or likely history of the ring, it didn't take long for someone to connect him with the Israel Antiquities Authority who were able to identify it immediately.

Amazingly, the ring is from somewhere between the 12th and 15th centuries and bears the image of none other than Father Christmas himself, Saint Nicholas. 

How do they know who it represents? Simple, the iconography of the carving. The ring pictures a bald man carrying a bishop's crook, this combined with the style and materials used placing it in the Byzantine period heavily suggest it to be Saint Nick. The crook and staff were trademarks of the saint and used in nearly every depiction of him.

But how would a Byzantine ring of a Christian saint come to rest in an arid plain in Moshav Yogev? Well, old Saint Nick is quite well traveled. Well before he became popularized as the bearded, jolly, giver of gifts we associate him with now, Saint Nicholas was the patron saint of travelers, pilgrims, and sailors. Jewelry bearing his image was often carried by Christian pilgrims as they traveled for protection, and Israel was a major destination of the era.

The main Roman road from Legio to Mount Tabor wound through the area, passing closely to Moshav Yogev. This path was frequently used by Christian's making pilgrimages to Mount Tabor, Nazareth, and other locations in the area. It isn't at all unlikely that some weary traveler might have made a slight detour in the area and found their way to where Moshav Yogev stands today. How the ring was lost will remain a mystery, but it's existence can inform us on the patterns of trade, travel, and exchange in the area. 

Rather than keep his find to himself, Dekel Ben-Shitrit willingly donated the ring to the Israeli Antiquities Authority in the interest of historical preservation and knowledge, as is customary for Israeli citizens who make historical discoveries. The history of Israel is one of the nation's intangible treasures and belongs to every citizen.