Mysterious Tomb of a Young Greek Woman Discovered in Palestine Alongside Her Dowry + Photos

According to Saed News, the cremated remains of a young woman were discovered in a cave beside a bronze box mirror on a rocky slope near Jerusalem. Studies suggest the tomb dates between the late 4th and early 3rd century BCE. Guy Stiebel, from the Department of Archaeology and the Ancient Near East, told CNN this find is “highly significant.”

Stiebel explained, “It’s almost like bringing to life a woman who died 2,300 years ago.” He and his team believe this may be the first evidence of a hetaira, a renowned class of women in ancient Greece. “If our interpretation is correct, this burial points to the highly unique status of a Greek woman—likely the companion of a high-ranking Hellenistic official or general.”

The Hellenistic era spans Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BCE to Rome’s conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE. Stiebel suggests the woman was probably among the first Greeks to settle in the region.

Li’at Oz, excavation director, described the mirror found with her remains as “the second of its kind discovered in Palestine, and one of only 63 known across the Hellenistic world.” Rare and exquisitely preserved, the mirror likely once adorned the tomb of a woman of status. These foldable mirrors often featured engraved or embossed idealized female faces or goddesses.

Stiebel notes the woman’s cremation is also telling. Cremation was foreign in the region, prohibited in Judaism, and uncommon under the Persian Empire, which then controlled the area.

The isolated tomb suggests a link to military campaigns, possibly during or shortly after Alexander’s time, indicating she may have accompanied a general. Four iron nails found with the mirror were used to secure the body, protecting both the dead and the living from harm.

Stiebel’s team continues to study the mirror’s origin and hopes to learn more about its owner, the general who might have gifted it, and her place of origin.