ISRAELI archaeologists have highlighted the discovery of a 1,500-year-old amulet believed to have once protected women and children from the "evil eye".

The ancient trinket was unearthed in northern Israel in the Biblical region of Galilee, near the Sea of Galilee. Tova Haviv, one of the first residents of the village of Arbel stumbled upon the necklace pendant some 40 years ago. A family member has now handed the artefact to the Israel Antiquities Authority, allowing experts to marvel at the discovery.

Archaeologists have dated the trinket to the fifth or sixth centuries AD, believing it is a so-called "Solomon's Seal".

These types of pendants and amulets were a popular way of warding off evil spirits in Galilee and Lebanon.

The pendant is roughly triangular or pear-shaped, with intricate inscriptions on either side.

The front is adorned by a haloed rider sitting atop a horse.

The rider is featured throwing a spear towards a female figure that experts have identified as Gello - a female demon from Greek mythology.

An inscription around the rider reads in Greek: "The One God who Conquers Evil".

Below the horse, you can just make out the Greek letters "I A W T", which spell out the name of the Hebrew God Y-H-W-H or Yahweh.

On the amulet's reverse, is an eye pierced by multiple arrows and surrounded by two lions, a snake, a scorpion and a bird.

Another Greek inscription features on this side and reads: "One God."

According to Dr Eitan Klein, the deputy director of the IAA's Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit, the amulet may have been worn to protect women and children from the influence of the evil eye.

The archaeologist said: "The amulet is part of a group of fifth to sixth-century CE amulets from the Levant that were probably produced in the Galilee and Lebanon.

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Israeli archaeologists unveil 'Solomon's Seal' - an ancient amulet protecting from evil(https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1442731/archaeology-news-solomon-seal-amulet-protect-evil-israel-galilee-discovery-evg)