Rare Christian amulet holding bible scrap, ancient stone seal unearthed at Turkish site – report

Turkish archaeologists recently unearthed a rare early Christian gold amulet and a 3,500-year-old stone seal at the Turkmen Karahoyuk archaeological site. The fourth or fifth-century CE Christian amulet, found in a copper container, held a thin gold sheet believed to contain a biblical passage. Michele Ruzgar Massa of Bilkent University stated, "Inside a copper box, we found an extremely thin gold sheet, only 0.1 millimeters thick, most likely carrying a passage from the Bible." Massa suggested it was a protective charm, possibly for a child. The stone seal features Luwian hieroglyphic inscriptions, including the name "Kurunti-ziti" and an official title, indicating a lower-ranking bureaucrat. This discovery, along with other seals, suggests Turkmen Karahoyuk was a significant administrative center.