Rare Archaeological Discovery: Unveiling the Mysterious Tomb of a Legendary Greek Courtesan in Israel

Archaeologists in Israel have unearthed the preserved remains of a young woman believed to be an Ancient Greek courtesan. The discovery took place in a burial cave located on a rocky slope near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, in close proximity to Jerusalem. Alongside the cremated remains, a bronze box mirror was found impeccably preserved.

According to a collaborative study conducted by Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), the tomb is thought to originate from the period ranging between the late 4th century and early 3rd century BCE. In a phone interview with CNN, Guy Stiebel, an expert from the department of archeology and the Ancient Near East at Tel Aviv University, expressed the immense significance of this discovery.

The high-quality mirror was found to be perfectly preserved.

Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

"Its almost like bringing back to life a woman who passed away 2,300 years ago," he said of the research, which he compared to a "jigsaw puzzle or riddle."

He and his team believe they may have made the first-ever discovery of the remains of a hetaira, a term used in Ancient Greece to refer to courtesans.

"If our interpretation is correct, it seems that this burial signifies the exceptional circumstances surrounding a hetaira. Specifically, she was a Greek woman who likely accompanied a prominent government official, or more probably a high-ranking general," he explained.

The Hellenistic age in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean spans from Alexander the Great's death in 323 BCE until Rome's conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE. According to Stiebel, the woman discovered would likely be one of the earliest Greek settlers in the area. Liat Oz, the director of the excavation for the IAA, provided a description of the mirror uncovered in the tomb with the remains.

"This discovery marks the second known mirror of its kind found in Israel, with a mere total of 63 mirrors of this type identified throughout the Hellenistic world," read a news release provided by her.

Researchers say the mirror is incredibly rare, with just 63 discovered in the Hellenistic world.

Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

Tombs and temples in the Greco-Hellenistic era contained folding box mirrors similar to this one. The researchers observed that these mirrors were often adorned with engravings or reliefs depicting idealized female figures or goddesses.

Stiebel suggested that it was improbable for a woman of high status to have obtained this mirror as part of her dowry, mainly because married women in Greece seldom ventured outside their homes. Another possibility, according to him, was that she could have been a courtesan, who frequently received gifts from men. Drawing a parallel between hetairai and Japanese geishas, Stiebel elucidated that these women were esteemed as "muses."

He stated that women in ancient Greek society were shattering societal barriers and overcoming male dominance. Not only were they regarded as sexual companions, but they also had cultural influence similar to geishas. As a result, they received gifts, and mirrors played a significant role in the gift-giving economy of Ancient Greece. Additionally, the cremation of the remains provided clues about the woman's heritage, according to Stiebel.

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According to him, cremation is not a part of the local customs or religion. He clarified that Judaism strictly prohibits cremation and even during the Persian empire's occupation of the area, it would not have been practiced.

The tomb's discovery in an isolated location, devoid of any nearby village, farm, or settlement, implies a potential association with a military campaign during the time of Alexandra the Great or shortly thereafter. Our hypothesis proposes that she could have been connected to one of the generals.

Stiebel proceeded to elaborate on the importance of the four iron nails discovered alongside the mirror and remains.

He explained, "These nails served a twofold purpose - safeguarding the deceased and safeguarding the living from any potential harm. The bodies were securely affixed with nails to ensure they could not return to the realm of the living."

Stiebel informed CNN that the team is conducting additional research to meticulously examine the mirror's finer details.

He expressed, "Our objective is to unveil more information regarding the art's origins and potentially reveal insights about the mirror's owner, such as the identity of the general who purchased it or her place of origin."

The research will be presented for the first time at an Israeli archaeology conference next month.