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Left: Ebony figurine discovered in an excavation at Tel Malhata in the Negev. Right: Tomb excavated at the site of Tel Malhata in the Negev. (Dafna Gazit, Israel Antiquities Authority; Svetlana Talis/Israel Antiquities Authority)

Archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery in Israel’s Negev Desert, uncovering rare bone and ebony figurines in three early Christian graves at Tel Malhata, an ancient settlement near the Nevatim air base. The findings, published in the journal Atiqot by researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Cologne, date back to the 6th or 7th century A.D. during the Byzantine era. The graves contained the remains of two women and a child, along with unique grave goods, including two ebony figurines depicting a man and a woman with distinctly African features. These carvings are believed to be the first of their kind found in Israel, Jordan, or the surrounding region, making this a significant archaeological find.

The graves, identified as Christian cist tombs (stone-lined burial structures), contained a woman aged 20–30, a child aged 6–8, and a young woman aged 18–21. The older woman was buried with two alabaster jars, bronze jewelry, and two figurines—one made of bone and one of ebony. The child’s grave held similar items, including another ebony figurine. The younger woman’s grave contained glass vessels, a bronze bracelet, and a bone figurine of a female figure. The presence of similar ebony pendants in the woman’s and child’s graves suggests they may have been related, possibly mother and child. Small holes in the figurines indicate they were likely worn as necklaces, possibly as personal items symbolizing ancestral memory or cultural identity.

The ebony used in the figurines was identified by Tel Aviv University experts as Diospyros ebenum, a rare wood from southern India or Sri Lanka, uncommon in the Levant. While bone figurines have been found in the region since the Neolithic period, ebony carvings are extremely rare. The researchers believe these figurines may not represent deities but instead ancestors, reflecting a blend of pre-Christian traditions with Christian burial practices. This suggests the deceased, possibly of African or Ethiopian origin, retained elements of their cultural heritage after converting to Christianity.

Tel Malhata was a key settlement from the Middle Bronze Age through the Byzantine period, located at the crossroads of major trade routes connecting the Red Sea to Judea and Jerusalem, and the Mediterranean to Arabia. These routes likely brought luxury goods like ebony, spices, and silk to the region, supporting the idea that the buried individuals could have been African converts who migrated via trade or pilgrimage networks. Historical records note that Christian conversion expanded in the 6th century under Ethiopian Emperor Justin I, further supporting the theory that these individuals may have come from Ethiopia or the Horn of Africa.

The excavation, part of a larger dig uncovering 155 tombs in the Tel Malhata necropolis, revealed a pattern in burial practices. Women were often buried with items like jewelry, vessels, and figurines, while only two elderly men, possibly wealthy, had grave goods. Unfortunately, the team could not extract usable DNA from the skeletal remains, so the exact origins of the deceased remain uncertain. However, the combination of African-style ebony figurines, Christian burial customs, and the historical context of trade routes makes a strong case for these individuals being early Ethiopian Christian converts who settled in the Negev.

Archaeologist Noé D. Michael, speaking to The Times of Israel, described the find as unprecedented, noting that no such ebony figurines had been documented in the region before. The discovery sheds light on the diverse cultural and religious landscape of the Byzantine-era Negev, highlighting the presence of African converts in a region far from their homeland. The findings also underscore Tel Malhata’s role as a bustling trade and administrative center during the Roman and Byzantine periods, as uncovered in earlier excavations during the 1990s and 2000s.

This discovery offers a glimpse into the lives of early Christian converts, their cultural practices, and their connections to distant regions through trade and faith. It stands as a testament to the rich history of the Negev and the diverse people who once called it home.