Facebook users offered their help to Israel’s Antiquities Authority this week to identify a mysterious gilded object. This mysterious object was once believed to be an ancient Jewish relic, but a Facebook user identified it as a modern New Age device.
Facebook user correctly identified this “mysterious” object
Amir Ganor, director of theft prevention, said that six months ago, his office received an alert from the Associated Press of a gold scepter found in a Jerusalem cemetery. The device was found by a maintenance worker who misunderstood it to be an explosive device of some sort, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The maintenance worker informed the police, who in turn called in a bomb squad. The object, which was free of any damages, was x-rayed, and its materials were analyzed at Ganor’s office. Ganor said he initially thought it was used in the biblical Jewish Temples, but experts could not recognize it.
“At first we thought it was a military object, but then began to dream. I have been in this business for a long time and cannot recall such a mystery,” Ganor told the paper.
Since the Authority had no further ideas, so it posted a picture of it on Facebook. The picture received over 300 responses from Facebook users. One of the users — Micah Barak — was able to identify the object correctly, informing officials that it’s a Weber Isis Beamer. It is a German device used for creating a protective field against radiation. The objects are available in various sizes online for a maximum price of 120 euros ($131), reported Haaretz.
Mystery still remains
Barak, who is from Italy, identified the object as something that seeks to save energy from being wasted and is meant to be used by “naturopaths” and people dealing with energy healing. On Tuesday, the Authority thanked the Facebook users, saying, “The wisdom of the masses has done its part.” The device has been named after the Egyptian goddess Isis, who is the goddess of medicine, magic and nature, the Authority said in a Facebook post. Barak has received an invitation from the ministry for a visit.
However, it is still a mystery what purpose was it serving at the cemetery. The ministry said they expect to be contacted by people who had hidden the object in the cemetery and inform them of the reason for burying it in an ancient structure.
