A statue of Thutmose III of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. The discovered amulet displays the name of the Egyptian pharaoh. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – A 3,200 year-old Egyptian amulet was recently discovered by a 12-year-old Jewish girl who was volunteering at the Temple Mount Sifting Project in Jerusalem.

“While I was sifting, I came across a piece of pottery that was different from others I had seen, and I immediately thought that maybe I had found something special,” said Neshama Spielman.

“It’s amazing to find something thousands of years old from ancient Egypt all the way here in Jerusalem! Celebrating Passover this year is going to be extra meaningful to me.”

The amulet displays the name of Thutmose III, the pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, who reigned from 1479-1425 BCE, according to the Ir David Foundation. The foundation co-sponsors the Temple Mount Sifting Project, in which volunteers sift through debris removed from the holy site and to try to retrieve as many artifacts as possible.

Prof. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira co-founded the sifting project in 2004 to identify and document the debris that was discarded by the Islamic Waqf, a religious trust that manages and controls access to the Temple Mount.